The Shot: True Love Comes Once in a Lifetime
by lanteaddicted
Summary: There are not a lot of Nathan and Maxie fanfic stories, so I'm doing one. Its along the lines of the current s/l but with my kind of twist to it. Nathan gets shot but has to relearn the simplest things that he once took for granted. Will his true love stay with him or leave. Dante and Lulu help them as they travel through this difficult times.
1. Chapter 1: beginning

Not a lot of Nathan and Maxie stories, so I'm doing one.

I don't own the copyrights to any sentences that I use. They solely belong to GH and ABC.

I'm not a medical student or doctor and I pretend to play one when I write. Any medical term that I'm not using correctly, feel free to tell me and I'll correct it.

My imagery beta is more than willing to correct any errors that need to be corrected.

I didn't like how they had the judge tell Maxie that she couldn't see Nathan on their first date or how he and his spies watching Maxie's every moves, so they have no bearing in this story. My rant about the current Naxie s/l will follow this chapter.

General Hospital: Nathan and Maxie(Naxie)

The Shot: True Love Comes Once in a Lifetime

Chapter 1

Anna, Dante and Nathan were waiting on the final arrangement on transporting of Fiason when suddenly there was a hail of shots coming from the entrance to the PCPD. They looked around as they took cover where they could.

"Drop your weapon and come out with your hands up." an officer calls out

"Hand me the keys or the hostage will died," the kidnapper shouts out the reply.

"You don't want to add that to the already list of crimes you have done." replies Anna.

"Next shot is to her head if yo don't throw me the keys to the van," he answers back.

The next thing they hear is the masked man coming out from behind the armed van and shoots the gun in Anna's direction as she takes cover.

An officer looks around and spots Nathan lying down and yells, "We got a man down."

Anna turns and see Nathan on the ground with his hand trying to stop the blood from escaping.

"Stop shooting," she yells. "Nathan, are you okay?"

"I'm fine" he tells her.

"Dante, give him the keys"

"Anna, there are seven of us. We can take him." Dante states.

"Just give him the keys before he kills Sam." she explains.

Dante tosses the keys and the gunman throws Sam against the wall knocking her unconscious.

They shoot at the van as it leaves the driveway.

Anna hollers at them to stop firing their weapons and they immediately stop.

She tells one of the officers to call the ambulance and asks for his handkerchief to stop the bleeding from the wound.

"How are you doing, Nathan?"

"I'm fine, ma'am"

"Don't ma'am, me! If you don't remember when I hired you; I told you to call me Anna, not ma'am."

"Yes, Anna."

"Someone check on Sam", she asks. "How is she?"

Dante goes to where Sam is down and he calls her name. "Sam, are you okay?" asked Dante.

Sam groans as she replies that she is a little sore but okay. He helps her walk over to where Nathan and the police commissioner are. Anna helps Sam kneel besides Nathan and asks Sam to keep pressure on the wound.

Again Anna asks for an update to where the ambulance is.

The officer on his walkie-talkie replies, "They are about ten minutes out."

"If they don't get here soon, we'll going to have to take him ourselves."

"How are you holding up?" asked Sam. "I hate to tell you this but I'm not a very good nurse and I hope you don't bleed out because of it."

"I'm sure you'll do fine," responds Nathan as he tries taking a deep breathe as its getting harder for him to breath and staying awake.

"How are you doing?" asks Nathan

"ME? I'm doing fine. I'm not the one sporting a bullet wound to the chest," replies Sam.

Nathan's breathe hitches as he tries keeping his eyes open.

"Nathan!" Sam shouts. "Don't close your eyes. Focus on me."

"I'm trying..." says Nathan as he tries to focus on taking a breathing.

"Nathan, PLEASE don't do this to Maxie! I don't think you want to be on Maxie's bad side, do you?" the former hostage asks.

"No, I don't but... I can't hold on much longer... Sam... tell Maxie... make a good mother and I lo..."

"Nathan... Nathan, stay with me. I'm not going to be the one to tell Maxie that you didn't make it, Sam shouts, "Hurry... He's not breathing"

The ambulance pulls up to the police station and the paramedics get out and rushes to their patient.

"What his name?" one of the medics asks.

Sam replies, "Detective Nathan West."

"Nathan, can you hear us?" They got no respond.

They first stabilized his neck with a C-collar and his back with a backboard for precaution reasons in case the bullet had bounced around and hit his spine.

"He has a GSW to the upper right chest," explains one medic.

The other one hooks the heart monitor to Nathan's chest and started an IV drip and checks his blood pressure and calls out, "BP is 190 to 120. He's tachycardia."

The paramedic gets out the defibrillator to shock his patient's heart twice before it started beating correctly. They do final checks before Nat is safe to be loaded on the stretcher and in the ambulance for transport to GH.

Against their better judgment, they allow Sam into the ambulance. She didn't want Nathan to be alone and hoped that Maxie would see him before it was too late.

Lulu waited around the police station until Dante comes back from chase after the van.

"I was worried that you were hurt."

"I'm fine. How's Nathan?" asked Dante

"His heart stop but they got it started again, but it doesn't look good."

As Lulu was giving Dante an update on Nathan's condition, Anna comes up to them and says, "I just got a call telling me that Fiason was seen at pier 54."

Lulu left for the hospital to check on Nathan; as Anna and Dante went to pier 54.

About two minutes into the ride, Nathan's heart stop beating again and they start CPR.

As the paramedics enter the emergency area of General Hospital, his heart stopped again.

"Charging the paddles to 300... 320...

"He's back!" Bob declares just as trauma team opens the ambulance's door. Once the gurney is unloaded, a nurse jumped on and proceeds with the CPR.

"Let's get him into cubicle 1, as the ER personal and paramedics wheeled the gurney into the hospital.

The paramedics start given the run down on what they did at the scene and the ambulance.

"When we got there, he had just stopped breathing. We started CPR. When that didn't work we injected him with diltiazem and then we used the paddles. He coded twice in route and was without oxygen for over ten minutes."

ER doc listens to Nathan's heart and to be on the safe side, decides to intubate him. He tilts Nathan's head back and inserts endotracheal tube into his throat.

A nurse then checks Nathan's eyes and declares, "pupils are equal and reactive to light."

Lulu arrived and went looking for Sam and found her pacing outside the cubicle waiting for answers.

"Sam, how is he?"

"It's not looking good. His heart stopped twice in route to the hospital and as we were pulling into the emergency entrance. They are still working on stabilizing him before they can take him up to the OR."

Lulu remembers that she hadn't called Maxie. She spoke out, "I don't know if I should call Maxie until we have some news on Nathan?"

Sam spoke up. "Lulu, it's not your decision to make in telling Maxie about Nat. It should be her decision whether or not she should come."

Just as Lulu was about to call Maxie, she comes running in and demanded someone to tell her where Nathan was. Sam was about to tell her when she spotted the gurney along with the doctors and nurses coming out of cubicle one.

"Wait!, yelled Maxie as she runs to the gurney, I need to see him before you take him up."

"I'm sorry ma'am, but if we don't hurry to the OR, he won't make it.

My rant: I didn't like the fact that Maxie couldn't see Georgie because a judge's rules only applies to the city or state he resides in. Since Spinelli is living in Portland, OR; there is no way the judge's ultimatum applies here, so Maxie, without having to get his approval, could have visited Georgie whenever she wanted to.

The Spinelli that I know, could have called Maxie anytime he wanted to and told her that she could visit Georgie even if the judge didn't like it. He's considered to be a computer wiz that he could have made it impossible for the judge ever to find out that Maxie went against his rules. And why now is Spinelli following the law when he never followed it before? I think Ellie is part of the blame and I don't like this "new" Spinelli, either. The rant is done.


	2. Chapter 2: The Wait pt 1

My dilemma: I don't know if I should have Dr. Obrecht be the surgeon working on Nathan or if she finds out after the surgery is completed?

My imaginary beta is hard at work. If you want to beta for me and have the time to, just let me know in your review or if something needs to be corrected, I'm more than happy to fix it.

General Hospital Nathan and Maxie (Naxie)

The Shot: True Love Comes Once in a Lifetime

Previously:

"WAIT!" yelled Maxie. I need to see him before you take him up."

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but IF we don't hurry to the OR, he won't make it."

Chapter 2: The Wait part 1

"Can I at least ride up with him? I need to tell him something important before its too late."

"Okay, but make it quick. The sooner we get him into the OR, the better the chance of him making it through the surgery." replied Dr. Lenney

As the elevator door closes and rides up with him, Maxie lowers to Nathan level and quietly whispers, "I want you to know that it meant the world to me that you were with me through the Levi crap; when we were held at Crichton-Clark and when I couldn't see Georgie.

I thought I never would find another guy that would make my heart beat outside of my chest. I never thought someone would see the worse in me and still want to stay. I'm not a mind reader so I don't know what the future holds for us, but I do know one thing and that I can't live without you. So no matter what the outcome is, I'll be right here and we'll get through this together. I need you to fight with everything you got and come back to me."

The elevator door chimes.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, we got to go now."

"WAIT!" exclaims Maxie

One of the trauma nurses stop and returns to her.

"One more question? How long will the operation last?" Maxie asks as she tries holding back the tears.

"It's hard to say. Two to five hours if there's no more complications but could be longer. Once we see what the damage is, a nurse called Bethanie, will come and find you...

But before the nurse finished, the alarms go off...

"We need to go NOW!"

She catches up to the rest of the trauma team who are entering the theater to correct the damage the bullet did.

"Okay team let's get to work. I'm not sure how long he'll be able to handle the surgery so let's try to get it done quickly."

Hang another unit of blood...

Suction...

How's his BP looking?

Anesthesiologist responds, "It's dropping but not enough to worry just yet..

Maxie paced back and forth, staring at the operating room doors for hours, wishing someone would come through and give her some good news. She wanted to know but was too distraught to go and ask.

As the hours passed with no word, some police officers came and went, deliver food and coffee. Others just sat staring off into space praying that their fellow officer would make through surgery and make a full recovery.

Dante could see that Maxie wasn't in any condition to find out what was taking so long so he volunteered to ask the nurse at the desk questions. He went to the nurses desk and asked, "My name is Detective Dante Falconeri. I'm with the PCPD and would like to how much longer until someone gives us an update on my partner's condition?"

"I'm sorry sir but I can't give out that information unless you are a relative."

Not thinking about the consequences of what he was about to say but in a very polite way Dante enlightened the nurse, "See that lady over there pacing by those doors? She is his "wife" and is really worried and about to explode if she doesn't get an update soon!"

"Very well Detective Falconeri, "I'll be happy to find out whats going on with the surgery."

What seemed to be hours later, she returns with another nurse and she explains how the surgery is going.

"Damn it! He's crashing again...

"Suction again... Where is all this bleeding coming from?"

The doors swing open as a doctor with surgical scrubs still on comes through the doors. "Family of Detective West?"

"I'm she!" Maxie burst out as Dante and Lulu echoed, "We are!"

The doc rephrased the question, "Who is his next of kin?"

Dante spoke out, "I'm sorry doc but can you just tell us how he is and will he make it? We have been waiting for hours and worried about our friend so just tell us."

"Alright. Here's what I know, He had a GSW to his upper right chest and since he was without a bullet-proof vest on, suffered a lot of damage to his chest which included his heart, lungs, ribs and kidneys. It had ricochet his collarbone, traveling to and perforating his heart causing blood and air into the chest cavity. Next the bullet broke some ribs as it went through his right lung, before resting very close to his spine.

We were able to fix the punctured lung by putting in a chest tube to reflate the lung. We were in the process of slowing down the bleeding from entering the chest cavity but... here's where the complications started... before we could finish, he went into cardiac arrest again.

It was the fifth time we had to resuscitate him in the span of three hours. In the best interest of Nathan's health, we decided he had a better chance of surviving if we temporary patched the hole and waited until his heart was stronger before going back in the repair it permanently. We have put him on full life-support until he is strong enough for us to continue. Any questions?"

"How long before you take him back in?" asked Maxie

"It all depends on him but it could be between 24 to 72 hours." The trauma doc sighs, "The thing that troubles me, is where the bullet is. It's resting near his spine which is more likely to cause paralysis but we won't know until he wakes up. If I had to guess, he's paralyzed from the chest down.

Everyone grasps in shock at the news.

"When he wakes up and healed enough to run tests, we'll evaluate how bad the paralysis is and the detective's chances of recovery. There's a very slight chance of him walking again but I can't stress enough that we don't know the outcome until he wakes up and exam him. There is still hope that with time and patience there will be no side effects.

"The one thing that Mr. West has going for him is his excellent health prior to the shooting, but his chances dropped when he didn't get to the hospital shortly after being shot. The likelihood is now at 20 percent of surviving. It also doesn't help that his heart stopped twice and his brain was without oxygen for over five minutes before arriving at the hospital and three times during surgery.

As the doctor was given the rundown, Dante notice Maxie's face draining of all it's color. He picked up speed and was about to her however he didn't reach her in time, she gracefully faints.

"Maxie?" Lulu shouts

Coming up: Chapter 3: The Wait part 2

I own Dr. Lenney; paramedics: Jim and Bob; and nurses: Bethanie, Aspen and Caelen.

Working on chapter 3 and should be up in the next couple of days.


	3. Chapter 3: The Wait pt 2

I'm trying really hard to make the story flow smoothly but I'm not very good at. I've been seeking answers on the internet but I don't know if it has helped at all. If there is something that will work better, please let me know.

General Hospital Nathan and Maxie story

The Shot: True Love Comes Once in a Lifetime

Chapter 3: The Wait part 2

Lulu shouts, "Maxie"

Dante lifts her off the floor and looks around to see where he could set her down. He see an empty cubicle and lays her down on the bed in it.

"Is she going to be all right?" Lulu questions the nurse who also saw Maxie collapse.

"I think the news about Nathan has caught up with her and her adrenaline got depleted. Give her time to absorbs the news." replies Epiphany.

"I need to check on Nathan," replies the doctor. "I'll make sure that one of the CCU nurses know that she can see him when she wakes up. I'll also be around to answer any more questions she might have."

The doctor leaves.

An hour later, Maxie starts waking up. "What happen?" as she swings her legs to the side of the bed.

"You fainted. No need to worry about Nathan," Lulu responds as she hands Maxie a glass of water. "Dante is with Nathan right now. We can go up whenever you are ready to."

"Lulu, what am I going to do? I can't lose him just when I've found him. I didn't think I would ever find another guy that I love as much as I loved Spinelli."

"Maxie, let me remind you of our friendship, we started out as enemies and turned friends. I've been there when you went through men like wind and I never seen you look at them like you looked at Spinelli and now Nathan. What you went through with Levi, Nathan was always there for you, listening to you rant and just be your friend. He never gave up on you so don't give up on him. Yeah, there will be tough times ahead but I know he need you and plus you have Dante and I to help you and Nathan through this hurl. Now how about we get some food before we go and see Nathan?"

"Please, I need to see him now," begged Maxie.

"We will but I need to do a quick touch up on my makeup before I see Dante and Nathan is being watched by nurses and his partner. So let's freshen up before we go and see your prince charming," replies Lulu.

Meanwhile...

"I don't know if you can hear me or not but I've got to say," said Dante. "You are one lucky man. I have seen Maxie go through men like there is no tomorrow but with you, it's totally different. She has sparkles in her eyes when she sees and talks about you. No matter what her imperfections are, she still think the world of you and doesn't want to lose the best guy she's ever been with since Spinelli. That's saying something."

The girls went to the restroom to fresh up and fix their makeup.

"Between you and me, if I see you hurt her in anyway, I'm going to have to have a word with you and it won't be pleasant even though you are my best friend and partner. Here's another small prep talk, "I know you are strong and will fight with everything you have to come back but don't you dare...

alarms start going off...

They were heading up to see Nathan when Lulu states "Let's go up to see Nathan and my husband. And then I'll ask him to go and get us some food from Kelly's while we visit with Nat. And when my man comes back, he will stay with his partner while we eat, so he won't be alone."

Maxie just nods her head in agreement.

When they came upon the nurses' station to asked what room her boyfriend was in? They saw Dante outside a room and wonder why he was there instead of with Nathan but as they got closer to the door, they saw the reason. A team of doctors and nurses working on Nathan.

"What happened?" shouted Maxie.

"As I was sitting and talking to him, the alarms went off and they came rushing in and went to work in getting him stabilized." Dante tells Maxie and his wife. "They have been in there for about forty-five minutes working on him. It doesn't look good."

"Dammit, we are going to have to take him back into surgery and finish correcting to problem and hope that he's strong enough to make it through another surgery." states the doctor and as the nurses start unhooking the stationary machines so they could take him back into the theater.

The doctor's voice was loud enough for Maxie to hear him and runs into the room. "Where are you taking him?" asked Maxie as she starts to panic.

"Back into surgery." the doctor informs Lulu.

"Well, you told us that he wasn't strong enough to handle another surgery?" Maxie pointed out.

"He's blood pressure dropped traumatically which made the alarms go off and because of that, we think there's internal bleeding we missed. While we are fixing that problem we are going to finish correctly the damage that we could not do in the first surgery," explained the doc. "If he has any other family, you might want to call them because his prognoses isn't looking good. You need to move because the more time I waste talking to you the less likelihood of him making it. If we have time, someone will come to the surgical waiting room and give an update."

At the top of her voice, Maxie screams, "NATHAN WEST, DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE ME," as the elevator's doors closed.

"He won't give up," Dante and Lulu said as they hold her back from getting on the elevator, "because we won't let him and he has too much to lose."

"I hope you're right."

"I'm going to get some food and refreshments from Kelly's for us while we wait," proclaimed Dante. "Call me if the surgery gets done before I return with the food, please Lulu."

"I will. Love ya. Hurry back." Lu replies back to her husband

Dante heads out as Epiphany walks with the girls to the surgical waiting room.

Epiphany states, "If I don't get called away, I'll be outside the doors to the OR and bring you any news of the surgery and if there are any complications that you should know about. Okay."

"Thanks Epiphany." They both responded back.

"What am I going to do, Lulu?" Her best friend cried. "I love him so much but what if I'm not strong enough to help him through this?"

"When I went through this with Dante, do you remember what you told me?"

Maxie shook her head, "No?"

"Well, let me remind you what you told me to hang on to, girlfriend, You said 'that Dante is a fighter. And that there was in no way in hell that he would even think about leaving me and that the only reason why he wouldn't make it was because you weren't there by his side. You also told me to take it one day at a time. Plus, I had my best friend to help me through it, just like I'm going to do for you'."

They fell into silence waiting for any word from Epiphany or the Doctor Lenney about the outcome of the operation.

Two hours later still no updates. Dante had returned forty-five minutes ago with the food. They ate in silence and in their own little world.

Six hours later, Dante sees the doctor with his blooded scrubs still on coming through the door.

"Well?"

"I'm so so..."

Things are going to get worst for Nathan before they get better but he will return like he was before the story or close to it. LOL.

I hope to have another chapter up by later today or tomorrow.

Trivia: "Does anyone know what 'Ausgespielt' means?"


	4. Chapter 4: The Wait pt 3

I really appreciate didi6, babymomo, McAliceKatePotterGHShield, smilelino, Myevildog04, HookSwanEndGame, who have reviewed and/or follow this story. Thanks.

General Hospital Nathan and Maxie story

The Shot: True Love Comes Once in a Lifetime

Chapter 4: The Wait pt 3

"I'm so…."

"No. O God... NO. He can't be dead. NATHAN!" Maxie shouts as she once again collapses and cries.

Once more, Dante gentle picks up his wife's best friend and carries her to a couch and lays her down.

Liz is there and goes over to comfort Maxie and in a very understanding voice says, "Maxie, l know you are scared and worried but the doctor wasn't implying that Nathan is dead. He meant to say that he was sorry that, and please listen closely, Nathan is in a coma and doesn't know if he will make it through the night or if he'll make it 72 hours from now. He just doesn't know."

"So, he's not dead?" Maxie questions.

"No, he's not," Liz reply.

"But…. Can I see him?" Maxie asked.

Liz looks up and sees Dr. Lenney nods his head without saying a word.

"Sure you can but only one visitor at a time." Elizabeth responds.

Dante helps Maxie up from the couch and slowly walks with her to where Nathan is. He leaves and closes the door to give Maxie and Nathan some privacy.

Maxie quietly watch rise and fall of his chest as the vent fills his lungs with oxygen to help him breathe. It seemed like there was too many machines and IVs to count that were hooked to him. Nasogastric tube, or NG tube, was given his nutrients and medicines. She didn't even want to know what was hiding under the covers.

All she wanted was for him to wake up and tell her it was all a dream but she knew it wasn't. They had already lost so much time that it felt like the world was stacking trials against them because it didn't want them to be happy.

She was about to speak when there was a quiet knock before she turns and sees Liz coming through.

"Maxie, could you leave for awhile so I can check him over?" She asked. "There are things that I need to do that you don't want to witness. It will take about an hour so why don't you go and stretch while I do this. Lulu is out there, too."

"I don..." Maxie started to say before Elizabeth interrupted her.

"I know you don't but it might embarrass him if he knew you were in here while I did this." Liz explains.

"Yeah…. Okay…. I guess you right but when you are done, please come and find me. I don't want him to be alone." Maxie requested.

"You know I will." Liz acknowledge.

Maxie leaned over and kissed his forehead and squeezing his hand and said, "I love you and I'll be right back," before leaving so Liz could update his charts.

Elizabeth went through checking his chart which included his BP, IVs, checking the readout on the ventilator. She went to get another nurse to help her change his position.

Hour later, Maxie was back by her boyfriend's side. "Sorry that I had to leave. Liz thought it would be a good idea for me to leave even though I wanted to stay. I'm going to keep on saying, 'I love you' until I see you opening those beautiful gorgeous eyes of yours. You have made it through being shot and two surgeries so now you got to wake up."

Maxie pauses and again squeezed his hand in the hopes that he heard her and would respond by squeezing hers but it never did. She continue to talk to him as she watches for any movement that would tell her that he was coming out of the coma. Nathan's girlfriend would close her eyes for a few minutes but then would quickly reopen them because she was afraid that he would stop breathing and the alarms go off.

Sometimes the blond hair woman would walk around the room to do some stretch exercises or just walk to get the sleep out of her feet. She would start talking and just say whatever came to her mind. She would tell him how much she loved working at Crimson and how it was a pain to work for Kate Howard. She talked about the love of fashions and wanting to start her own fashion magazine company. She talked about anything and everything just something to keep her occupy as she waits for him to gain consciousness.

"Maxie…. Maxie"

"What…. What!"

"You need to go home and get some rest. You have been here for over 12 hours. You are not going to do him any good if you aren't at your best. Let Dante take you home and he'll bring you back once you get some sleep and food." Lulu addressed.

"I can't," replied Maxie. "I'm afraid that if I do he will think that I don't love him and he'll give up and died."

"Don't think like that Maxiee. He knows that you love him and is fighting with everything he got to return to you. And I'm sure he doesn't want you to end up in the hospital, too. What about those dark circles under your eyes, you are going to scare him if he see you looking like you haven't slept in days."

"I know that you are right but I just don't know if I can handle not being here," concluded Maxie

"If something changes, you know that Dante will be on the phone faster than you can blink and definitely be the first person he calls." Lulu reassures Maxie.

"I guess I do need to freshen up. I look like a cat was dragged in." Maxie's stomach growls. "I better eat, too."

"Now that you mention it," Lulu pauses. "You do rather look like an older woman with those puff and dark circle eyes," then Lulu laughs.

Lulu motions Dante to come in and sit with his partner.

"Maxie, I won't hesitate to call you if there's any change in his condition." Dante reassures her.

Lulu and Maxie left but before they went down on the elevator, Maxie stopped at the nurses station and told them under no circumstances were they NOT to call her the minute something changed or there will be hell to pay.

Dante was getting bored in watching over his partner that he started to give an updates on what happen after he was picked up and taken to GH and the whereabouts of Faison. He also explained how Maxie is about him and if he didn't show signs of waking up than he didn't know how Maxie would make it without him in her life.

Hours went by and nurses came and went, still Nathan lying down as his chest would rise and fall with the life support machine.

In the dawn of the following day of the shooting, Dr. Lenney along with a team of nurses enter the CCU room.

"Is there something wrong, doc." asked Dante

"No, we need to take him down for some testing. It should last only a couple of hours so you should go home for a few hours and someone will call you when Nathan returns to this room." replied the doc

"No can do, doc. I promised Maxie that I wouldn't leave his side until she returns and I'm not going back on that promise so you're stuck with me until then."

Seeing that Dante wasn't going to back down, "Okay but you can only go as far as the Radiology doors, non medical personal cannot enter no matter what the circumstances are."

"I guess that will have to do," Dante states as he gets out his phone to call his wife about Nathan going for more tests.

As the nurses got Nathan ready to move, Dante calls his wife to bring her up to speed.

Maxie and Lulu were resting when Lulu hears her phone vibrating and she leaves the room so not to disturb her friend's sleep. "Hello?"

"Hi, honey. How is Maxie?" Dante asks

"She is good as you can expect. She was so tired that I was able to get her to go to bed for a couple of hours. Why you calling? Is there something wrong with Nathan?"

"No, I just wanted to let Maxie and you know that they have taken him for some tests. I was able to talk the doc into letting me stay with him while he is in Radiology." Dante clarifies

"Thanks for calling, hon. We will be there shortly. Bye." Lulu hangs up and heads back into the room to wake up Maxie.

"Hey_ hey_," her friend quietly whispers. "Maxie, you need to wake up."

"What?" Maxie jumped. "What is…. Is Nathan awake? He is not dead, is he?"

"No, Nathan is fine. They are doing some tests and Dante wanted you to know about it." replies Lulu.

"Oh_ Let's go!"

"Um, Maxie. I don't think you want to be walking around the hospital dressed like that?" Lulu expressed

Maxie looks down, "Oh…. yea_ I probably should change. What would he think of me if I went to see him in this?"

"Well_ Um_ I can think of many ways…." Lulu was a little embarrass with what she was thinking.

"Lulu!" Maxie looked at her with a strange look and stutter, "What_ would Dante _say if he knew what you were thinking?"

"I know, he would kiss me and start undr….

"Lulu!" Too much info." as she stomps off to change.

"Quietly," Lulu responds by stating, "You asked."

Within the hour they were heading back to General Hospital to see what the doctor had to say. The girls were in their own thoughts as Lulu drive them.

They arrived back at the hospital and went to the CCU floor. When they got there, some nurses were at the main desk. Lulu and Maxie go up and asked if Nathan had return to his room and one of the nurses checked and told them that they were still running tests but they should be wrapping it up shortly.

It wasn't until an hour later that they saw Nathan being wheeled back with Dante walking behind the bed.

Lulu see her husband and ask, "Did the doctor say anything to you about the tests?"

"No, he is looking at them right now and he will come and tell us what they found good or bad," Dante reply.

Another two hours came and went and the doctor still had not return.

Dante looked at his wife and Maxie and saw that what little sleep they had indeed helped them. They looked better than the last time he had seen them.

It wasn't until three hours later that Dante looks up and sees two doctors walking towards them and their expressions on their faces told him all that he needed to know. It wasn't looking good for his best friend and partner.

They knew Dr. Lenney but they didn't know the other guy that he was walking with. Dr. Lenney spoke up, "This is Dr. Charley, Neurologist, he specializes in Traumatic Brain Injuries.

Maxie also saw the doctors and started to worry as she saw their facial expressions, too. It did not look good, in fact it looked worst.

"Just tell me that he will make it?" Maxie begged.

The doctors would not answer….

"Do not give me that look! You go back and run those tests again and again until you come back here and tell me that HE IS NOT DYING!" Maxie yelled.

I…. We….

Not wanting to upset Maxie more, Lulu calmly said, "I know you are angry, worried, and upset but you have to give them a chance to address their results of the tests before you draw any bad conclusions."

"I know but I just found him, just not to lose him to a bullet." cried Maxie.

She hated to see her friend in such an awful situation and wishes she could change what had happen to their friend but deep down, she knew she couldn't.

Dr. Lenney jumped in, "I'm sorry you are going through this but what you saw was not what you thought it was. Yes, he still alive but the results show that he is still in a deep coma and there are no indications if or when he will regain consciousness. All we can hope for is that he as the will to fight and come out on his own."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm sorry to have to bring this up but it means if he doesn't wake up on his own, you might have to transfer him to a long term facility. There is nothing more we can do, its all up to him now." Dr. Charley replied to her question.

Maxie walks up to Doctor Charley and starts pounding on his chest, "NO! I'm not going to listen to this. He WILL make a full recover no matter what I have to do. He is not leaving me. He is going to have to get through me if he thinks he can give up without a fight!" Maxie storms off.

After Maxie outburst, Lulu went looking and found her in the chapel.

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. It's not the first time and it won't be the last that I have had a family do that. I'm sorry to be the bringer of bad news but I've founded that families needs to hear thing that they might not want to hear. Sorry but I need to go. I have another patient's family to talk to." Charley explains.

Drew took over, "In a couple of hours a team of therapists will come and evaluate Nathan. They will make a plan for him to start therapy while he is in coma. It has shown that it helps a patient from having atrophy getting into the arms and legs. I will be back to check on him tomorrow morning and then in the evening. I'm also on call if there is an emergency and don't worry about calling my personal nurse, she also happens to be my wife, if you have any other questions to asks. Her name is Rosie."

"Thanks, Drew for all your help and patience" Dante replied

Dr. Drew Lenney leaves.

After all that drama, Dante quietly reenters the room. "Hey, listen up buddy. You need to start fighting your way back or you could lose the one person who truly loves you. You don't want to get on her back side. Us men think that we don't need a fighter of a woman but we are totally wrong. But without them, we would be living like wandering fools. So I_ Maxie needs you to fight with everything you got and then some. I need my best friend and partner to wake up and get better so you can come back to the PCPD when you get release to return to the police force."

Dante gets up and stretches before returning to the chair and waites for Maxie and Lulu to return.

Lulu put her arms around Maxie to comfort her. They just sit there praying. "Let it all out. I'm here for you and Nathan." We will get through this together..."

Author note: Drew is Doctor Lenney's first name.

Coming up: Chapter 5 The Wait part 5


	5. Chapter 5: The Wait pt 4

General Hospital Nathan and Maxie(Naxie) Story

Question: Is it all right if Felicia was the mayor of Port Charles?

Chapter 5: The Wait pt 4

Maxie cried until it was too hard for her to get air into her lungs. "It's okay, Maxie. You have to believe that he is fighting his way back to you so do not give up."

Maxie sniffle and says, "I won't but it is so hard seeing him like that, so still and needed help to breathe. For God sake, the bullet should have been a through and through, a week at the most in the hospital, couple days at home and then back to work. It shouldn't be like this where machines are keeping him alive, Lulu!"

"I know. Things happen that we have no control over and we fight back to gain it back what we have lost. I know you and Nat are strong and together will come out of this stronger than ever. You have a unique way of getting what you want just by talking. I know when he starts coming around, he wants you to be the first thing he sees."

Maxie gets herself under control. "Thanks. I'm okay now. Really want to go and sit with Nathan."

"All right. Lets hit the restroom before going to see Nathan. You want to look pretty for when he wakes up."

"I don't care what I look like when he sees me just as long as he wakes up." Maxie states.

"That's fine. Come, I want to see Nathan before Dante takes me home and so I can see Rocco."

"Oh, sorry. My mind has been so focus on Nathan that I forgot about him." Maxie shamefully replies

"Its fine. I know you have other things on your mind to worry about. I called to check up on him while you were resting and he is having fun with his grandparents. They have everything under control and they understand that you need Dante and me." responds Lulu.

"_Hello"_

It took the girls about five minutes to get to the elevator and Nathan's CCU room on the sixth floor.

Dante was walking up and down the hallway but still close enough just in case Nathan needed him. He had enough sitting and needed a chance to stretch his legs. He was walking back to the room when he saw the two blonds getting off the elevator.

"Is he all right?" Questioned Maxie

"Yes," replied Dante. "I was just stretching my back and legs. He hasn't had any emergencies and the nurse said that he is holding his own but still no indication of him waking up."

"Dante, we should leave. I need to see my son and need some sleep."

"Yeah, I could use some of that, too." replies Dante. "Maxie, if you need something just call but hopefully it won't be until some time tomorrow. Don't forget you need some sleep too because I don't want Nathan yelling at me for not looking after you and making sure you rested and ate."

"I'm a big girl, Dante, but thanks for caring." Maxie joked back. "Now go home to your son."

She goes into the room as the Falconeris head to the elevator and to home.

"Well, I guess its just you, me and the machines." Maxie said to herself.

The Falconeris were in the car when Lulu remembered something. "I don't think Maxie's parents know about Nathan's accident. I better call them to tell them about him being shot. She has been so worried about Nathan I don't think she ever thought to call them. Its late but she doesn't need to be by herself right now."

Lulu gets out her phone and calls Felicia and Mac. "Hello. Hi, Mac. This is Lulu."

"Hi Lulu, what's up?" Mac asks.

"Sorry to bother at this time of night but this can't wait until later today…. "No, Maxie is fine…. Its Nathan that isn't. While transferring Faison from PCPD to Pentonville, when an armed man took Sam hostage and then shot Nathan sometime later."

"Not Maxie… Nathan… Don't know? Drive so I can ask and find out. How bad?" Asked Maxie's mom

"It doesn't look good_ He's in a deep coma_ Full life support_ Damage to his heart, kidneys, ribs and spine….

Felicia asks, "Did I hear you correctly?" in a shocking voice

"Yeah, they don't know if he'll ever walk again_ waiting for him to wake up to run more tests."

"No. Huh. Yeah. I've…. never mind…. I'll tell you later. Okay…. We are heading there right now. Yeah will make sure she eats and rest…. Thanks Lulu for calling. See you."

They finally arrived home and hurried up to their apartment to see their son. They missed him and were happy to be home after a really long day and night at the police station and then at the hospital.

"How's Nathan and Maxie doing?" Inquired Sonny

"In stable but serious and Maxie is barely holding it together."

"He will make it and so will Maxie." Olivia pipes in.

Holding Rocco, Lulu said, "Yeah, but its going to be a long road and I pray Maxie has the strength to handle it."

"I know Maxie and she is a fighter and she won't let him give up and quit fighting. She has grown up in the past year and she is stronger than what she thinks she is. Her family and her friends will stand by her and give her the strength she needs when hers is gone." Dante's dad replies.

"I don't know about you guys but this little fellow and his mommy are tired and needs to get to bed." Lulu said in a very tired voice.

"Okay, if you need one of us to watch this squirt while you are with Maxie, just let us know." replies Dante's mom

"You know we will. Good night. Love you." Dante tells his mom

"Love you, too. Good night, Lulu and take care."

Sonny and Olivia leave.

"I'm going to get this guy ready for bed," said Dante as he taking Rocco from his wife.

Lulu herself got ready for bed and soon fell asleep. After Dante puts their little boy to bed, he cuddled up with his already sleeping wife and soon joins her in dreamland.

A/N: I'm ending this chapter here and now working on the next chapter and have it up as soon as possible


	6. Chapter 6: Coming around or is he

In celebrating of my birthday (1-16-15), here is another chapter of

The Shot: True Love Comes Once in a Lifetime,

A General Hospital Nathan and Maxie (Naxie) story

Chapter 6: Coming around or he is? Pt 1

"_Maxie__?"_

Maxie dozed off as she tried hard to stay awake fearing that if she closed her eyes for just a second, he would stop breathing and leave her. She didn't want to miss any movement or change in his breathing but the need for sleep won over the need for her to watch him.

Felicia and Mac arrived at the hospital and went up to CCU where Nathan and Maxie were.

They found her with her head on the bed. As the mayor walks closer to the bed, she sees her daughter with her head down by his and her left hand folded into his right hand. She thought it was very sweet. The past months she saw her daughter grow into a more mature woman. Their daughter had lied to her best friend but with time and patience they renewed their friendship and in fact they had made their friendship grow more strong than before. She meet a man that didn't care just care about her faults but embraced them.

Mac carefully tried to wake up her and after a few minutes she started to stir. "Wwhat_ Nathan?"

"No, honey it me and your dad. We just heard the news and came here as fast as we could." replied the mayor. "He is still alive."

"We came to take…..

"NO_I'm NOT leaving! NOT leaving until he wakes up!" Exclaimed Maxie.

"Honey, it could be weeks before is wakes up and you need to get some rest before the real work begins when he wakes up."

"Buuuuutttt….

"I know you don't want to leave but if you don't take care of yourself, you'll end up right next to him and I think he would feel very bad if that were to happen to you," in an understanding but stern voice Mac continues. "I'll tell you what, I will stay with him while you and your mom go so that you can get some sleep in a nice warm bed. And if something changes, I will call you right away and your mom will bring you right back. And besides your mother, the new mayor of Port Charles, wants to spend some time with her very own daughter."

Maxie signs, "Okay, BUT you have to promise me to call if any happens to him or when the doctor exams him AND never leave him by himself."

"I promise. Now go and take some time to rejuvenate your body and mind and she has some news that will bring a smile to your face." Mac swear as he hold his hand up like he was going to take an oath.

Maxie put a kiss on his forehead and whispers, "Love you and I will be back in a blink of an eye."

Mac quietly prays that he didn't just lie to his adopted daughter.

The new mayor and her precious baby arrived home a shortly after leaving GH.

"_Maxie?"_

The nurses kicked him out so they could do their assessments of him and the other patients in the CCU.

It was taking them longer than what he thought it would and didn't think that leaving him for a short break would do any harm with all those nurses around him and plus he was just going down a few rooms to where the waiting room's coffee machines were. He went to their area and let them know that he was going to get coffee down in the vistors' waiting room and that he would be back shortly. The blond haired nurse told him that she would come and get him once she knew that they were done with Nathan.

The coffee was not as good as Kelly's was but it helped. He got to thinking how it would have been nice if his daughter had not meet Levi but had stayed in Port Charles and went into a relationship with Nathan. He wished he had meet Nathan as the police commissioner instead of a civilian.

He was on his way back when the unthinkable happen, alarms went off. He dropped his cup and sprinted towards the noise. When he got close, he saw a team of doctors and nurses surrounding the room that Nathan was in. "Can someone tell me whats going on?"

"Sorry sir but you have to stand back so they can work on him. Someone will come and get you when they have stabilized him enough to inform you why the machines went off." red hair nurse explained as she pushes him out of the room.

"All right," the ex-commissioner states.

"_What is that noise?"_

Sorry it's short but wanted to get it uploaded before my birthday ended. I'm starting on chapter 7.


	7. Chapter 7: Coming around or is he pt 2

General Hospital Nathan and Maxie (Naxie) Story

The Shot: True Love Comes Once in a Lifetime

Chapter 7: The Shot: Coming around or is he? Pt 2

_Darkness_ stillness_ _

A short time later, Dr. Lenney come out of the room thinking, "Dammit, I hate it when I have to tell a family that there are more complications that has been added to the already long lists of injuries and telling loved ones that he might not make it through the night." Finishing his thought, he heads to the vistors lounge.

As he enters he asks, "Mr. Scorpio?"

"I'm he. What's wrong with my daughter's boyfriend?" Mac asked.

"I was told you were here. I was told that you could tell me where might I find your daughter so I can give her an update on her fiance?"

Mac tried not to look surprised that he called Maxie, Nathan's fiancee but he went on to say, "Her mother took her home because she has been so worried about him that she has not slept in over 12 hours since he got shot. If you don't mind skipping the rules, my heart hurts for her as she goes through this and so I would appreciate if you can tell me the other bad news. I want to prepare her before you tell her what I can see printed on your face.

Dr. Ethan weighted in and came to the realization that this father was looking out for his daughter like any father would so he decides to tell him, "All right. I'll give you a rundown. He has oxygen hypoxia, which mean that his brain went without oxygen for a long period of time. He had two surgeries, internal bleeding and we are closely monitoring his brain because of the fact he was deprived of oxygen getting to his brain.

He can't breathe on his own so he is hooked up to a ventilator and as a result of that it caused him to come down with pneumonia. It's not usually life threatening but in his case, it as become dangerous serious for him. We have started giving him penicillin but if that doesn't work, we will have to find an antibiotic that will.

Usually we would take the patient off the ventilator after 24 hours to prevent this from happening but in Nathan's case the machine is the only thing that is keeping him alive.

"Not liking the sound of that. Is there more?" Mac pipes in and asks.

"His heart is very weak and his rate of surviving is still at 20 percent..."

"Okay"

"I added limits on the visitors, so in the best interest of my patient, a nurse will stay with him for the next 48 to 72 hours to monitor him and the visits will be limited to 15 minutes every hour on the hour. Any and all visitors will have to wash their hands and put on protection gear so that he won't be applicable in catching something that they might be carrying that would make his condition more serious than pneumonia and could put his recover further back than what it already is.

A worried Mac asks, "So if the antibiotics get the pneumonia under control and his blood pressure returns to normal, he could wake up?"

The skeptical doc replies, "Yes, he could but I have to warn you, if or when he wakes up, he will be very weak and unable to communicate. He will have to relearn the basic things and it will be a very long recovery time and he might be unable to return to police work."

Mac stumbled back when he hears that. "What do you mean he might not be able to return to being a detective."

"Didn't anyone tell you that?" The confused doc asks. "He could be paralyzed from the waist down."

"WHAT?" Mac was stunned. He paused for a minute before adding, "I... I was so worried about my daughter that it could have gone in one ear and out the other."

The doctor clarifies, "the bullet did lot of damage to his heart and pretty much bounced around in his chest and then hitting and stopping at the spinal cord. I'm telling you what I told your daughter, there is a slight chance that he won't be paralyzed from the waist down but we just don't know for sure until we can run more tests. My opinion is even if the x-rays show that the swelling is decreasing it still doesn't look like he will ever walk again at least without aid.

I can tell you this, just between you and me, is that nothing is set in stone. I've have seen people that the odds were against them but have bewilder their doctors by walking. I'm a doctor that focus on facts and not one who believes in miracles and I don't like to give my patients hope when there is none. But I have to say from watching him fight, he just might surprise this unbeliever.

"What I have seen and heard from the police commissioner, he is stubborn and a fighter. I'm not ruling him out just yet, plus he has my daughter who is probably more stubborn than he is and she will not let him feel sorry for himself if she has anything to say about it." the also stubborn bartender acknowledges.

Just then Ethan's pager goes off. "Well, I have another patient that just came into the ER. I'll check back with Nathan after I finish with this new patient and hopefully after I get some sleep." Dr. Lenney hurries away.

Mac looks on Nathan through the glass window as he gets out his phone from his back pocket to call and check on his wife and daughter.

Felicia doesn't answer, so he leaves a message on her phone. He goes and finds a nurse to help him put on the protection gear. In advance, he told the nurse that if his phone rings to answer it and come and get him. He had left a quick message to his wife, the mayor, updating her on Nathan's status.

He needed to make sure his future "son-in-law" knew that if he hurts his little girl by dying, there will be hell to paid. He is not going to stand by and watch his girl get hurt again and he will make damn sure it won't happen.

It might have been an hour since he had been in with Nathan when he turns and sees a nurse motioning him to come out of the cubicle. "Mac, sorry to bother you but your phone was ringing so I answered it. It's Felicia. She wanted you to know that they along with Lulu, I think thats who she said was with them, would be coming around after they had lunch and girly time. It was the only way for her to keep Maxie from rushing back here so soon after just leaving."

Lulu had said that she got here shortly after they brought Nathan in and Dante followed after he left you at the pier. They were driving home when we got the call to that Maxie needed her parents because Nathan had been shot while transferring Faison to Pentonville." the ex-police commissioner- bartender paused. "There have been more complications besides the bullet bouncing around. I was also told by Nathan's doctor that there is a very high chance of him being paralyzed from the waist down due to where the bullet is located at.

He hasn't shown any positive signs that he's coming out of the coma and the longer he is in there, less likely of him ever being a cop again.

It was not anything the police commissioner wanted to know. She didn't want to lose one of her best detectives since she once again put on the badge for become the Port Charles head police officer. She regrettably felt sad for Dante who had lost three partners since transferring from New York police department and now be losing his forth partner to a bullet.

Anna was shocked. She couldn't find words to describe how she felt about the news about her detective and what do about it. She looks around for her best friend and when she doesn't see her, she asks, ""Okay. Does my wife want me to call her back?"

"No, but she did say that Anna would be checking on her detective, too." Replies the nurse.

He just nods.

Shortly thereafter, Anna shows up as Mac was getting more coffee.

"Hi, Mac. How is my detective doing?" Inquired the police commissioner.

"He's not getting worse but not getting better. He has pneumonia and they are fighting that with antibiotics and in addition to that, they are having a hard time getting his blood pressure up. Once the drug kicks in for his pneumonia, they are hopefully that he will turn the corner but thats still up in the air so to speak." the former not too hopeful police commissioner answers.

"Has the Falconeris been up to see him since he has been here?" Asked Anna

"Yea, Where is Maxie and Felicia?"

"She took our daughter home this morning for much needed sleep. She just called and they are having some girl time before coming here. They should be here within the hour if not sooner." reply Mac the Flowing Rib owner.

They do small talk until Anna sees the party coming off the elevator.

"Mac, Is Nathan awake, yet?" Maxie questioned.

"No honey, he isn't. I have something to tell you before you visit with Nat." Mac says as he guides her to a chair

"While you were gone...

Mac tries to get her to Maxie yells at her dad. "You promised me that you would call me. Why didn't you?" Yelled Maxie

Mac tries to calm her down to explain his reasons. "You haven't slept in over 12 hours, you were about to collapse for the second time, and you look like death was knocking on your door."

"I don't care because I specify asked you to call me no what! What if he had died and I wasn't here? Did you ever think of that?" Maxie sharply asked

"I'm sorry but I'm your dad and I wanted to shield you from the pain. I promise that never again will I not call or come and get you if the need ever rises."

"Okay. Sorry that I yelled at you. I'm so worried that I'll miss something and won't be here if he dies."

"Now that's settle, do you want me to continue explaining what went on while you were getting much deserve sleep?" Inquired Mac

"Yes"

"He had a seizure due to a number of things including lack of oxygen during the ride here, from the surgeries and being hypotension. He developed pneumonia due to having the ventilator and have him on IV antibiotics for it. You with me so far?" Maxie slowly nods.

"They changed the rules for visiting. A nurse will be in the room for the next 48 to 72 hours or until Dr. Lenney is satisfied that Nathan is clear of pneumonia. Visitors will have to wash their hands and put on a gown before they are to enter his room and we can only visit for the first 15 minutes every hour."

Maxie leans back and signs. He was fighting so hard but wasn't catching any breaks. He would be good for awhile and then alarms go off. It felt like they were on a roller coaster, up then down, up again, down again. When would this end and how much more can his body take? She prayed that there would be no more complications and that he would turn the corner.

Maxie walked over to her boyfriend's room and saw Liz with full protection gown writing down notes and checking the machines and his IV. When she was done, Liz walks out of the cubilcle and says, "Do you need any help putting on the gown? If not, once you have it on you can go in and visit him. I'll even break the rules just this once and let you visit for 30 minutes but after that, you will have to leave. Okay?"

"Thanks, Liz."

Maxie reached over and kissed her fiance's forehead before sitting down. I specifically recall telling you that under no circumstances were you to scare me ever again and what's the first thing you do as soon as I leave? You scared me. Do you know what this means? Well, I'll tell you what it means, I'm going to be here in day and day out until you open those gorgeous beautiful blue-green eyes of yours and looking back at me. I'm going to talk to you until I'm blue in the face. If you think that I'm going to let you give up without a fight than you don't know me the good. I love you too much to let this tear us apart and nothing and no one will stop us from being together and making a life of our own.

I have losted too many guys to count and I won't give you permission to leave me so you fight until all your strength is depleted and I will pick up and carry you through the hardest time. We are in this together.

Right here, right now is my solemn vow to you.

I, Maxie Jones, do solemn swear to love, cherish, and honor you. I will stand and fight for you in sickness and in health, in richer or for poorer, in good times and in harder times, sweat and tears, in defeats and in accomplishments as long as we both shall live. I will comfort you when you need comforting, I will care and encourage you when you have lost your way, and I will love you for all eternity. This is my bonding vow to you and to you alone.

Beeeep_

A/N: I don't know what color of Ryan's(Nathan) eyes are because everytime I see them they are either blue, brown, or green. I don't know if its the light's reflection that makes his eyes change color or what it is? If someone does know the color of his eyes, please let me know when you PM me. Thanks.

Chapter 8 is being written as soon as I finish typing this sentence.


	8. Chapter 8: Waking up pt 1

General Hospital Nathan and Maxie story

The Shot: True Love Comes Once in a Lifetime

Chapter 8: Coming round pt 1

Nathan_"somebody help me"_didn't I just_"someone please help me"_ tell you not do this_NATHAN!

Once again and in the span of 24 hours, Nathan was keeping everyone on their toes. But to Maxie, he was scaring the hell out of her and worrying what he would do next.

"Sorry but you need to leave," Liz requested of Maxie.

She left but only to let them have room to work.

Her parents had left to get some coffee and as they were returing, they see their daugther outside in the hallway and run to her.

"What happened?" Asked Mac

He_off_afraid_died_ (_cries__)_

Felicia interprets what Maxie was trying to say, "The alarms went off and she afraid that he is dead"

"I know you are scared but we need to see what the doc says before making any conclusions,"

"I_know_ but_(c_ries)_

Hour later, all leave but Dr. Lenney and Liz.

"How is he?" Asked Mac

"Well, finally I have some good news to tell you, the alarm was to let us know that his blood pressure is slowly stabilizing. The bad news is that the meds to fight the pneumonia is not working so we'll change it to another antibiotic and he still is in a coma."

Maxie was so distaught that Felicia asked the next question that she thought that Maxie wanted to know. "In your medical and personal opinion, when do you think he will wake up of the coma?"

"It's hard to give a precise time but with his blood pressure coming up and hope with this new antibiotic, I would say between 48 and two, maybe three weeks? It could be sooner or later than 3 weeks but it depends on Nathan and how much damage to the brain there is. I know that's something you don't want to hear but I can't in good conscience give you the exact time he will come out of the coma.

There has been studies of how the brain works after an injury like Nathan's but there is not enough data to come to a complete conclusion. It's mostly up to the patient who decides if he or she wants to live. I would love to tell you that I can read his mind but I just can't. I wish I had better news.

Is there any more questions that you need to ask?" The doc pauses. "All right. I'm going to update his chart and then I have other patients to see. If any questions arises, myself or the nurses will be happy to answer them for you. Again, I'm sorry that the answer you seek aren't the ones you want to know."

"Thanks, Ethan."

"Maxie, Why don..."

"NO! I'm going back in." their girl shouts. "NOT leaving his side until I see those beautiful blue-green eyes of my fiance."

"Maxie..."

"NO! NOT leaving him. I just can't leave him!"

Maxie, they won't let you stay."

"How many times do I have to say this? I'm NOT LEAVING HERE until he IS wakes up!" Maxie proclaimed.

"I hear you but YOU need to take care of yourself before you should be worrying about Nathan. He won't know if you are here until he sees you himself." Felicia tells her.

"I know, mom but I feel that if I'm not here, he will died."

"Oh sweetheart, he has plenty of people watching over him. He has your dad and I, the nurses and doctors, and Dante and Lulu to help you. When you need some down time, we will be here to watch him so you can get some rest. He won't be alone for a minute, his backup is us, his family and friends."

"I'm going to get ready and go in to see him. Dad, can you do me a favor and go to Kelly's and bring back a BLT with whole wheat bread and no tomatos, please."

"It would be my pleasure. I'll come and get you when I return with your food. Say 'Hi' to the guy that has your heart and has people who are pulling for him."

"Thanks dad."

Mac went to Kellys for dinner and Maxie went in once again to visit Nathan.

How are you doing? I got to tell you something but don't get mad at me for what I'm about to say. I know that they mean well but I'm not going to be all right if you don't gain consciousness soon. I'm barely holding it together. I want to hold and be there for you like you did all those weeks and months of not seeing my daughter. I pushed you away but you kept on being there for me. You gave me your handchief when you sub-lit my apartment, right there, I think I started to fall in love with you. You lied to the judge for me, listening to my rants, and just given your shoulder when I needed to cry. I didn't say it then but I'll say it now, when you handcuffed me, that was the best time of the year for me. You prove to me on that day that with all my faults, you still would be there whenever I needed you. I didn't get to say..."

"Sorry for the interruption Maxie, but your time is up." the nurse that was staying with Nathan around the clock chipped in.

"Okay, I'll be right out," she replies. "I'll finish what I started to say when I can come back in. Be good for Liz and the nurses while I'm gone."

Liz was outside the room when Maxie exits it. "Maxie, I don't really know him but I do know you and he will wake up. He is hanging on because of you and your love for him." Liz truely believed what she said.

Mac was in the hallway with her supper when Maxie exit Nathan's CCU room.

"How is his prognosis?" Asked Mac

His heart is a little stronger but not where the doc is comfortable in downgrading his condition. He will still need the nurse in there with him for another 48 hours before Lenney will assess him again. Other than that, the prognosis is getting there but not where it should be. Thanks for the food and my stomach appreciates the sandwich.

Lulu was in with Nathan while she ate the food Mac had brought to her.

"Listen here Nathan. I haven't seen this side of Maxie in a very long time and I have to say, it's you that has changed her. She cares more for you than she has ever cared for any guys before you came to town. She is thinking more for someone else than herself and its all because of you. She has stayed by your side ever since she find out about the shooting and your girlfriend won't leave the hospital until she sees those gorgeous eyes of yours so why don't you do all of us a favor and wake up. If not for yourself than for the woman that loves you with everything she has. Well, I'm getting the look that says my time is up, so I will continue this discussion at a later time. Bye for now."

Lulu kissing Dante before she leaves the room.

It was Dante's turn to give his prep talk to his partner and friend.

I'm not much of a talker so I'll make it short. I didn't like you when you first arrived. I liked not having a partner since all the others before you have left. I was content to going out on calls by myself and investigating crimes. My first partner was Lulu's brother. His first thought was that he didn't want me near his sister because he thought I was a thug. What he didn't realize until much later that I was an undercover cop from NYPD trying to take down a mobster. Eventually, by accident I might add, he found out that I was undercover when I used Lulu to get into the PCPD's computer room. After that he was glad that I was a cop and that I was really interested in his sis. See at the time, Lulu still had feeling for her ex and Lucky thought she could do better in the 'boyfriend' department than when she was growing up. I will tell you later about her dad, Luke Spencer. Back to the story, After he found out that I had a 'thing' for Lulu, he kept my secret and we got along. I finally got enough evidence on the mobster that I came to take down. Fast forwarding it, this mobster found out that I was an undercover cop, he asked me to his house and at the same time, Lulu was at the church for Carly and Jax's baby dedication for Josslyn. She had asked Lulu to be the godmother and she accepted. I was to go with her but I was at the mobster's house in the progress of arresting him, he shot me. Long story short, that said mobster was Sonny and my father. Yes, you heard correctly, Sonny is my long lost father. My mom never mention who was my father and I never really wanted to know. I had my mom, her parents, her sisters, uncles, aunts, etc, so I didn't care that I didn't have a dad. When I found out that my mom had lied to me all my life, I hated her and couldn't even look at her. Lulu helped me see that what my mom did at that time, was the best option she had. With time we repaired our relationship and I forgave her and later did the same for my dad. My childhood best friend became my partner after Lucky left but I had to kill when we find out that he had been murdering prostitutes and was going to murder Sam and Lulu. That day was one of the worst days of my life. I had so many questions I couldn't answer. I couldn't understand why I didn't see what he was doing? What signs did I miss? Once again Lulu helped me through it and there were other times where I didn't know what to do and she always told me that whatever I decided to do, my future wife would stand beside me and get through it together no matter what was thrown at us. Now it's time for you to decide what outcome you want? Do you want to give in and let go or do you want to fight for yourself and for the girl who hopes to become the future Mrs. Nathan West? The ball is on your side of the court and whatever you decide, I'm behind you 100%, partner!" Now I'm getting the look that my time is up. Fight partner, we will be waiting for you if you decide that waking up is more important than dying and leaving Maxie and your mom without you in their lives, that includes Lulu and I in that equation.

Dante leaves and the nurse thought to herself, "He must be an amazing guy for all these people to want him to fight to live."

Week 1 went by and still Nathan fought and in a deep coma. They did an MRI and there was still bleeding on the brain and were watching it closely. The nurse stay in the room for all of the first week. They started giving him sponge baths as soon as the doctor gave the "okay" but after a couple of days, Maxie decided that if anyone would be given him one, it would be her. The hospital's therapists came and started physical therapy with his arms and legs. They were starting to get astrophy and showed Maxie and later Liesl, his mom, the proper way to move his limbs. Maxie, Lulu, Dante, and his mom would talk and visit with Nathan.

Week 2 came and went like the first week did. They again did another MRI and still bleeding on the brain. They were worried that they would have to go back in if the bleeding didn't stop. The nurses would check on him every thirty minutes and during that time, no visitors and they would check the readings from the ventilator and other machines. The pneumonia cleared his system by the middle of the second week and his blood pressure was slowly returning to normal range but still he wasn't waking up. Maxie would go home for short periods of time but you could see dark circles around her eyes and Lulu wasn't getting enough sleep, either. The Falconeris would go home and spend time with Rocco but were worried about Maxie. Felicia was busy being the newly-elected mayor and Mac was busy with the bar. When they had free time, they would bring Maxie a change of clothes and food for her. The hospital had tried to get her to leave Nathan's bedside for days but she would not hear it. She said that she wasn't leaving until he woke up so finally they gave in and had given her permission to use the doctors' lounge and showers.

The night he got shot, they were told that he could wake up in week 3 but it was going on the third week and her beloved was still in a coma. The doc had some time off so one of his colleague took over Nathan's care until Dr Ethan Lenney returned. Nat's BP had returned to normal, his heart getting stronger and he continue to fight. His family and friends talked to him more and with whatever came to their minds. They were urgently waiting for the doc to make his rounds so they could find out why he wasn't waking up? Hour later, the doc comes running down the hall. "Sorry that I am late, there was an emergency in the ER and the doctor needed an extra hand and I was it. Name is Art and have taken over Nathan's care until doctor Lenney returns. I'm going to check him out, while I'm doing that, why don't you go down to the cafeteria and get a bit to eat?"

"No, I am fine." replied Maxie. "Lulu and Dante, why don't you go. You can bring me something back when you are done."

"Okay," Lulu replies back but Dante knew that look on her face, so he left and Lulu stay. She wasn't going to let her best friend wait in despair by herself.

"Thanks for staying Lulu but you didn't have to. I don't know if I told you how much I appreciate you and Dante giving up your time and energy these past three weeks. Your son must be wondering where you and Dante have been doing. When Dante comes back, you guys should go home and spend time with Rocco. My mom and dad should be here soon."

Maxie, I'm not leaving you here by yourself and my husband would kill me, if I left you alone. I want to be here with you when the doc comes out with an update. Rocco is being watched by Lucas and Olivia will be watching him later tonight. We will go home after you get some answers. Here comes the doctor."

"We are taking him for evaluations and it should take from 2 to 3 hours to complete."

"It doesn't matter, I'm coming with you" She proclaimed.

"You can only come to where it says, Personal only are allowed.

"I'll take it. Let's go."

They brought out the bed, machines in all. Maxie walked along Nathan and took ahold of his hand when they got into the elevator. When the they the floor and to the doors, Maxie kiss his forehead before they wheeled him in for the MRI.

It actually took them longer than what they had first thought. Dante had come with the food and left to see his son. He would come back later to pick up his wife.

"_What is taking them so long? They should be back by now."_ Maxie thought to herself.

Four hours later, Felicia and Mac had arrived and were waiting for Maxie and Nathan to return. Finally, they see Nathan and Maxie has the orderlies push the gurney down the hallway.

Felicia walks fast to get to her daughter. "Is there any change?"

Maxie replies, "The preliminary results are that there is no change in him. Dr. Art and the team of doctors specializes in brain trauma are looking at them now. He said that it could take another hour or two to decipher the MRI and the other tests that they did."

Those were the two longest hours in history that Maxie had to wait. She didn't know much longer could she hold it together. It was killing her in not knowing if Nathan would ever come out of the coma. She was in her own little world worrying about Nat that she didn't see the doctor coming down to where they were.

"Maxie?"

"Huh?"

"Doctor!"

"Yeah"_ Oh_ What's the verdict, doc?"

"We might have found the reason why he is not waking up. You remember he has been having an MRI each week? What I didn't see the last two MRIs, one of my colleague found a bleeder on his brain this time.

"What does that mean?" Maxie questions the doctor.

He replies, "It means that we are watching it to see if grows and if it does we have no option but to go back in a fix it."

"More surgery? He is strong enough to handle another surgery?" A puzzled Maxie asks

"Yes, he is and his vitals are holding steady. We are going to do another MRI next week before we even consider doing surgery. We are giving him some drugs to see if it helps stop the bleed and if they work than surgery would not be necessary, but if the meds don't work than there are things we can do. There are two options that you will have to consider. One is to wait and hope it clears on its own or surgery. If we wait until it clear up on its own, it could be more weeks before he gain consciousness. If we did operate then he could wake up within days of the surgery. Questions?"

"How much time do we have to make a decision?" His fiancee asks

"It would have to be next week around this same time and we have schedule other tests with the MRI., If you have any more questions later, please feel free to have a nurse page me and I'll answer any other questions. I have other patients to see so if you can excuse me."

"Thanks doc"

Week 3 passed and week 4 came, the day when they see if the bleed had cleared up or surgery was in his future. At 11:00 am, two orderlies and a nurse took Nathan to have the MRI on other tests. The wait was agonizing for them and especially for Maxie. She just couldn't sit or stand still. She was up then down, then back up again. Her mom asked her if she could get her daughter anything and Maxie just shugged her shoulder. She was so in her own world that she jumps when she hears, "Maxie"

"What?"

"They are bring him back and once he gets settle, you can visit with him until the doctor cames back," Liz tells her.

"Okay, thanks." She still had to wash her hands and wear a gown but a nurse wasn't stationed in the room with him 24/7. It was a relief for her because there was just some things she didn't need a third pair of ears listening in to her conversations with her future husband. His color was slowly coming back but she didn't know how long it would last with surgery that could be looming in the not so future. It wasn't until an hour later, that she heard a knock and the door being opened. "Maxie, the doctor is back."

"See you later, handsome."

"So what's the verdict, doc?"

"I wish I could say that everything is going like we wanted it to but thats not the case. The bleeder is in fact, has gotten bigger and if we don't operate to fix it, he won't make it through the night. And there is a 50/50 chance of him not making it through the surgery."

"NO_ NO! Maxie shouted out. He isn't going to died." She runs into his room, crying. "Don't you dare leave me. You have come this far and you can make it through this surgery. You come back to me, you hear me. Don't give up!" She grabbed his hand and lowered her head to the bed and wept.

The doctor went to get ready for the surgery and while the nurses and orderlies gave Maxie some alone time with her boyfriend. When it was time to go, Liz slowly put her hand on Maxie's head and said, "Maxie, we need to get him ready so we can transfer him to the gurney to take him to surgery." Nurse Webber helps her up from the chair and escort her out of the room so they had room to move.

Maxie let Liz comfort her as she cried. "Thank you," Mac mouths to Liz, as he takes his girl into his arms and just holds her up until she goes limp in them. His heart hurts for her and wishes he could take her pain away but knows that he can't. He wished that he could shelter her from the heartache of losing people she cared about but couldn't. He had hated having her lose her sister so young and other young men that she dated died. He didn't know how she would recover if she lost Nathan. He looked down at her and found that she had fallen asleep his arms. He asked Epiphany to bring in a cot so that he could lay her down on it. He stood and stared at his little girl's face and saw it relax after weeks of unknowns. It was as if she knew in her heart that he would make it and come back to her after weeks upon weeks of the not knowing.

Six hours later, two times his heart stops and couple of other close calls, they finished the surgery and into the recovery room. The trauma team let out a side of relief after they finished closing him up. He was one of many that made it through that surgery. They had lost some that they thought would make it but didn't and some that should not have made it but did and he was one of them. Now it was time to find his family and tell them that he was alive through the operation. He had a long recovery ahead of him but with his fiancee and family helping him, he would make it.

Dr. Art Tardy did a final check and went to find the family.

Felicia was the first to see him as he enters the waiting room. "How is he?" She asked

"He is still in recovery but lets me explain in his room." They followed him and Mac carefully woke up Maxie, after she had some time to get her bearings back. "He made it through the surgery. There was a couple of times where he stopped breathing and couple of close calls. We checked to make sure there was no other bleeders and thats why it took so long. When he was first brought in, his odds of making it was 20 percent but now that his blood pressure where it should be and the pneumonia gone, they had gone up to 40 percent. Since we caught this bleeder early, now his chances of gaining consciousness is at 60 percent. If there are no more complications the probability of him waking up improve a lot. We haven't discuss his paralysis in a long time because we were more worried about his heart and then his brain so we need to talk about that. The last MRI that we did still show signifcant swelling around his spinal cord and the drugs that were to help bring down the swelling hasn't been doing the job. And with trying to combat his BP, pneumonia, and brain surgery, we could only do a basic drug that was to keep the swelling from going up. While he is in recovery, we have added a more powerful drugs to see if that will bring the inflammation down. Questions?"

"How long will it be before we know if the swelling is going down."

"It depends, we hope it starts going down within the hour but its most likely that we won't know until he wakes up."

"Can we see him?"

"No, We had to put a tube in to relieve the intracranial pressure that is due to the rise in pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid that was pressing between his brain and skull. Once we are satified that he is out of danger, we will transfer him back to the CCU until he starts coming around and then we will move him to the step down department which is the ICU. Once we feel comfortable with his recovery, we will take out the tube before moving him to the ICU. We will let you know when you can see him. Right now I'm suggesting_ scrape that_ I am ordering everyone to go home and sleep for at least the next 12 to 24 hours and at that time you are welcome to return, but I don't want to see you, especially his fiancee before the 24 hours are up or you will not be permitted to return until I feel you have caught up on your sleep. I know you guys want to be here around the clock but right now there is no need for you to do that. He will definitely need you when he wakes up and wants to leave the hospital. He is not going to wake up and be fine. He won't even know who are much less be wake enough to carry on a conversations. I can tell you that he will be sleeping most of the time so the more rested you are the better it will help him when he needs you.

"But_ Can I at least see him for a minute? I just need to know that he is alive and that I''l be back later," Maxie pleaded with the doctor.

"Sorry, the doc but she isn't going to sleep or leave unless she can see him before she leaves." Mac piped in

The doctor looked around and saw everyne nodding their heads in agreement. "All right but only for a minutes and you need to again wash your hands and put on a mask, gloves and gown before you will be allow in to see him. The slightest germ can cause serious problems for him if you don't wear protection gear this close to the surgery."

"I'll do anything, I just need to see him for my peace of mind and then you won't see me for the next 48 hours."

"Okay. Asked for Epiphany and she will help you get ready and make sure you are only there for a minute."

"We will be right here when you come back and will take you to our house so we can mother you. We know once he wakes up, it will be like talking to a wall to get you out of his room and hospital." They all laughed at that comment.

"I will show you where you need to suit up and then I'm going to exam him before I go home to my wife and kids. I have my pager if you need me and Dr. Lenney should be back tomorrow."

"Thanks for all you have done for him." Maxie says before following him to the Recovery room.

When Maxie saw Nathan, she started to cry. There was a tube out his throat, his head bandage with another tube coming out of his head and leads going every which way. His color was pale and greyish and his beautiful dark hair was shaved off. He didn't look like the guy she knew. "Hi, I only have a minute before Epiphany kicks me out so I'm make this quick. I love you and will be here when you wake up. You keep on fighting your way back to me. We have things do and place to go. We still need to go on our date that we had plan after you got done with taking the prisoner to Pentonville. I miss seeing those gorgeous blue-green eyes and that smile. I miss hearing you speak French to me. I_ Epiphany interrupts her, its time Maxie. I got to go_ je te aime. Bye for now." Maxie gives Nathan's hand one last squeeze before leaving the room. It was going to be very hard to not to see him for the next 48 hours.

She drags her feet back to where her parents were waiting for her. They wrapped their arms around her and went to an elevator soo that they could go home for while. Dante and Lulu had left as she was heading to see Nathan.

The forty-eight hours came and went slow for Maxie but fast to the nurses and doctors at General Hospital. The first day away from him and GH, she had cried herself to sleep. She tried twice to see Nat but every time was turned away. When she wasn't dreaming about Nathan, she was crying herself to sleep. Her parents and Lulu tried to comfort her but it never worked. She worried that she would get a call telling her that he had stopped breathing and they couldn't resuscitate him and he passed away but thank God that call never happened.

Here she was at his CCU wanting to go in but was afraid it was a dream. "You can go in." someone tells her.

"I know but_ how is he?"

"He getting there. Dr. Lenney has been in to see him and he might take the tube out sooner than what he thought he would."

"That's great news."

"But the swelling hasn't gone down like it should be and still no sign of him waking up."

Maxie didn't like the sound of that but was happy that he was still alive and breathing.

It had been days, almost a week since his last brain surgery and she had enough of the quietness and the beeping sounds of the machines. Yesterday they had changes the meds for the swelling and were waiting to see if it works but so far it wasn't. She was tired of him just lying there and her need for him to wake up and running out of things to say.

After weeks of waiting for him to make the first move, she had enough. She determined that today was the day he would gain consciousness so with a strong determination in her voice and standing over the side of the bed and said, "What the hell? Nathan, snap out of it and wake the hell up!" Maxie will never forget what happens that day after she said those words to Nathan.

What she saw made her speechless. After two months of waiting_ pleating_ and just wishing and praying, her dream became a reality.

Yes, she saw him opening his eyes after many surgeries and pneumonia and weeks and months of waiting but there was somethng wrong.

A/N: I don't know French so I don't know if "je te aime" means I love you in French. I googled "I love you" in French and this is what came up.


	9. Chapter 9: Awake but not

I really appreciate those who have read, review, and favored. I surprised myself when writing the last chapter. It was the longest I have ever written and if I hadn't had to leave, I would have written more. The bold and italics are Nathan's thoughts and just the italics are Maxie and Dr. Lenney's thoughts.

General Hospital's Nathan and Maxie story

The Shot: True Love Comes Once in a Lifetime

Chapter 9: Awake but not

She was so happy that after months of not knowing if he would wake up and countless complications, he finally opened his gorgeous blue-green eyes, and...

The alarms goes off and Liz comes running in.

"Liz, Iwastalkingtohimand... and... what's wrong with him," a worried Maxie asked

Liz looks at Nathan and carefully put her hand on his upper arm and slowly said, "Nathan, my name is Liz and I'm your nurse. Can you blink your eyes to let me know if you understand what I'm saying?' She waits a minute but gets no response. "How about squeezing my hand? Okay, its all right. Nothing to worry about." as the ventilator continues to hiss.

She stays closed but still where he could see her talking, in case, he understood but unable to communicate that to her, "You probably feel disjointed and thats because you have been in a coma for about two months. I can't give you anything until the doctor exams you so I need you to remain calm and let the breathing machine do its job."

She looks at Maxie and says, "I need you to stay with him while I go and find the doctor.

"Ok"

She knew something was wrong with him but she didn't want Nathan or Maxie to panic over something that she might not be correct about.

She was on her way to page Dr. Lenney when he turn the corner. "Ethan, Nathan is awake but when I tried to ask him a question, I got no response from him."

He thought to himself,_"That's what I was afraid of."_

They entered the room. "Maxie, I need you to leave for an hour so I can see what's going on with him. I will come and get you when I am done and explain what is happening. Okay?"

She was about to disagree but decided that it would be best for her not to be in the room. Before leaving, she leaned over so that Nathan could see as she slowly tells him, "I will be back when the doctor says that I can." She kisses him before turning to leave. "The doctor take good care of him for me, please and I will be in the waiting outside here."

Liz closes the blinds to give them some privacy.

A good two hours before Dr. Lenney and Liz came out of her fiance's room.

Maxie starts throwing out quick questions as they shut his door and come into the hall, "Why does he look like he's not all there? Why didn't he recognize me? What is wrong with him?"

Liz chimes in, "Maxie, I know that you are scare but let's sit down and Ethan will explain."

You know that he was in a deep coma for about two months and with the complications he had, his body is still recovering from the surgeries. He is in a comatose state, that us in the medical community, call a Vegetative State. It means that he is not responding to stimuli and has no pupillary response to light. He might not be able to see you but he knows that someone is there or he can understand you but can't communicate that he hears what you say."

"What the doc is trying to say is that his body has not yet caught up to his mind and as it does he could slowly come aware of his surroundings." Liz explains

"He is still on the mechanical ventilation because he still can't breathe on his own, we will continue to keep a close watch on him. If he starts to fight the vent before the week is done, we will sedate him because he still won't be able to breathe on his own for the rest of the week and maybe more," he continues to explain. "After the week, we will periodically do a spontaneous breathing trial to see if he can breathe on his own, but if for some reason he still has trouble breathing without some form of help. Are options will be to try to do a PSV/SIMV or a CPAP, until we are satisfy that he can breathe on his own. We will only extubate him when we feel that he comfortable and has no problems with breathing on his own. The side effects of the brain trauma that he has, are paralysis and memory lost, which is why he might not remember you. We again, won't know the severity of the brain damage until he fully regain consciousness and run tests. He could have problems from severe brain damage to mild brain damage. We can only do so much, the rest is up to him. The tremendous help in his recovery to do is, keep talking, touching, and just be here for him. Do you have questions that need to be answered?"

"_Do I have questions?"_ Maxie asked herself. _"Of course I have questions, but first I need to process what you idiot just told me."_

"No questions, can I go in and see him," his girlfriend asked with a stoned face.

_"_Yea, as soon as they are done in there, you made go in. I'll step in before I go home for the night. Again, I'm sorry I don't have the news that you were hoping for."

"Yea_whatever?"

_**Who_in? Oh_ its_u!**_

The doctor says that you might not remember me, so I thought I would tell you how we meet.

It was last January of 2014. I was subletting my apartment because I had just given birth to a girl and lost custody of her because of something I did. I will tell you about that later, but on with the story. As I was saying, I sublet my apartment because I was on my way out of town to "find myself". Someone knocked and I thought it was my dad, Mac. As I was opening the door, I said, 'Really Mac, we don't need to be at the airport three hours before I need to be.' But as I opened it and look, it was you who had knocked and not my dad. I asked who you were and you replied, 'The agency sent me.' I was stun, actually I was speechless...

_**Why are you_telling me this?**_

I quickly got over it. When you said the "agency sent me", I thought the CIA was the one you were talking about but you quickly said "It was the realtor agency that had sent you. I asked who you might be? And you put out your right hand, smiled and said, 'My name is Nathan West. Nice to meet you.' I showed you the place and give some tips about how the ice maker took forever to make ice and to watch out for the floor board because the nail pops out every month to name a few. I don't remember why I started to cry but you handed me your handchief. I was surprised you had one. You told me that your mother had taught you to carry one because you didn't know when it might come in handy."

_**Don't you have_ somewhere_ besides here?**_

Sometime later, Mac called me and said that they couldn't find a parking place so I had to meet them downstairs. I said bye and that was the last time I saw you. While I was away, I thought alot about you, how you were doing, what were you doing and other thoughts. As I was "finding myself", I met a guy but again, that is a story for another time.

_**Can_you_just_quiet? Leave!**_

Couple months later I return. I was coming from my room when I saw you again. I asked what was wrong and you told me. You had just found out that the mother you thought was yours, was actually your aunt and that you had another sister. We talked. You were about to tell me something when the guy interrupted you and you were wondering who the hell he was... I'm going to skip that part...

_**Thank God!**_

There was a knock on the door and she looked to see who it was. It was Lulu and Rocco. She got up, kissed him amd said that she would be back.

_**FINALLLY!**_

"How is he doing?" asked Lulu

"His eyes are open but still in a comatose state."

"WHAT? What do you mean?" Lulu inquired

"They don't know when he could fully wake up. He is still showing signs that the machine is totally breathing for him. They are keeping him on full machanical ventilation for another week. Then they will run test to see if he can breathe on his own but if he still can't, they will wait a third week before trying it again. They are hoping by the forth week, he is healed and strong enough to at least breathe with a lesser invasive machine. The doctor told me but I was still trying to process what he told me that I forgot what he said. Lulu what am I going to do? All I'm doing is going crazy with worry and so want him to gain consciousness and soon. I hate having to wait and see all the time."

"I'm sorry that you are going through this and I'm here to help but I know deep down in my heart that he will wake up. You are the strongest person I know, besides me, that will not give up on him and do everything you can to bring him back to you." Lulu states. "Why don't Dante stay with Nathan, while we go down to the hospital's cafe and get some food? This little guy could use some alone time with his aunt right now. He misses her very much and wants her to feed him some squash and pears for lunch. How about it?"

Maxie chuckles, "Why not? I could use some time with this little guy." She turns to Dante and says, "If anything changes with Nathan, you call me first."

"You know I will." responds Lulu's husband

"And by the way, doc says to talk to him, it might help." he nods back.

Dante enters Nathan's CCU room...

_**WHO_hell_u?**_

"Hi." Dante sits beside the bed. "My name is Dante. I was told to talk, so here I am, talking. You are my partner and have been for almost a year. You have already meet my wife and kid but I will reintroduce them to you later or you might remember them on your own.

_**Don't_they_? LEAVE!**_

You came to Port Charles to find answers to who killed your sister, and eventually, found out that she was still alive. Then you found out that your mother...

_**Know_alr_. Here_go_**_

Maxie and my wife, Lulugot kidnapped around this August by her so called boyfriend-fiance. Turned out that he wasn't who Maxie thought he was but you sure did know he wasn't who he claimed to be. You and her were fighting all the time about him. She accuse you of calling the immigration agency on him which you didn't and later found out that it was all a fake, but boy, did she blamed you. Every time you were in an inch of each other, sparks would fly off of you both. One time they were protesting in a building that the Corinthos' brothers were refurbishing. They called the police and you responded to the call...

_**SO_WHAT**_

Your fiancee would not leave so to get her to, you handcuffed her and in the process she hit the hand that had the key in it and it went sailing into the air and disappeared. The both of you crawled around on your knees to find it but couldn't find it anywhere. She wanted you to call me or another officer to unlock you guys but you with being the "new guy", you didn't want anyone to know that you had lost the key...

_**O_shut up**_

You were heading back to the apartment you three shared when Maxie complained about her feet hurting because she had worn a new pair of shoes that she hadn't quit stretched them out. At that time you were in the grassy part of the park and she just stop and sat, of course you had to do the same. She complained some more and then a short time later the fireworks started. She commented how beautiful they were and you... I got a kick out of this, but you were looking at her and said 'yes, they are'. She thought you were responding to her comment about the fireworks until she looked down from them and saw you looking at her. I think that was the first time, her attitude started to change with you.

_**Why_u_me_this?**_

From that time on, all you could talk about was, Maxie did this... Maxie did that... Maxie makes me so angry... I don't know what Maxie sees in him... Maxie blames me... on and on you went about Maxie. When she kicked you out and threw your clothes out, you came into the precinct carrrying a bag with your clothes and complaining that she threw you out and it was all her idea but in reality it was the guy, we won't mention, that wanted you out.

_**Can_plea_stop_ talkin**_

"Oh, look at the time, I thought they would be back by now"

_**Oh_no_don't_**_

"You know what to do if you want us to shut up?"

_**What_**_

You...

_**tell_me**_

need... O, look here they come now.

_**NO!**_

Maxie opens the door. "Has he moved at all?"

"No"

_**What_do_ have_do_get_leave?**_

I have been talking to him...

_**Boring_to_won't_talking**_

Maxie moves closer to his face. "All you have to do is make some kind of sign that tells us that you hear us.

_**Thats it? Why_you_that_place. **_

They watched for a few minutes but nothing happens.

_**Dammit!**_

"I guess he doesn't want us to stop talking or leave," Maxie answered

_**Yes_do_but_listening**_

"Nope, I gues its my turn to annoy him for an hour or so," replies Lulu. "Hubby, why don't you take this little guy to see his grandma Olivia, while me and Maxie talk to this guy who just loves hearing us talk."

_**NO_GOD_NO**_

"Come kiddo, lets leave your mom and aunt so they can maybe talk your uncle into waking up. You know how they LOVE to talk..."

_**NO_Please**_

"Bye, cutiepie. See you later." Lulu said before she gave a kiss to her two leading men. "Boy, Is he in for a big surprise," Dante tells his little man and then laugh as he takes his and Lulu's kid out of the room.

_**Change_stay_they go**_

"So where should I start?" Lulu asked Maxie

"Why don't you tell him about the time when Dante thought he was trying to take you out on a date?" says Maxie as she takes his hand.

Lulu thought for a minute, "Okay. It's a good place to start. Let's see... oh yea... Dante and I had a fight so I went to the Floating Rib to have a couple of beers to calm down when this guy comes up to me and asked if he could buy me a drink. I said, 'Sure. Why not? I thought making my husband jealous would show him how ridiculous he was acting. I knew you were his new partner but I didn't know that he knew nothing about me knowing that you were his partner. I forgot that I hadn't talked to him about meeting you before when you came to look around Carly's house and to question me about of Carly's disappearance. But at that moment, I could have careless if Dante got mad at me or not. We talked. You painted a different viewpoint of how he might feel when we get into an argument. I told you that I hope we wouldn't fight again so we chat about other things. I went to leave the table when a customer accidently knocked into me," Lulu and Maxie chuckles at the thought. "You didn't want me to hurt myself so you went to catch me and that's when Dante walked in. He got all macho and yelled for you to get away from his wife. We tried to explain what had happen but he didn't want to hear it. I stormed off and he follow, trying to apologize for coming to the wrong conclusion but I was so mad, I wouldn't hear it. Once we cooled down, we..." They went into full laugher mode.

They sat, listening to the noise of the vent, when Lulu spoke up, "I know what I can talk about next...

_**NO_STOP! **_He couldn't take it anymore so he tried again but still nothing. **_DAMMIT_**

When I first met Dante, I didn't like him at all. He was self-absorbed, egotistic male, who thought only of himself. At first, I tried to avoid talking to him or around him but he kept on following me and then lying about it. It got to the point that I went to Sonny and told him that one of his hired men were following me everywhere I went, but that didn't work. Everywhere I turn, he was there," Maxie starts to snicker. "Then he had the nerve to try to pick me up with these stupid chessy pick-up lines. At first, I would just quickly turn around and leave but then they started to crack my walls that I had put up. My job had a photo shoot at a warehouse near the pier. Earlier I had accidently drank a spiked water and went towards the water and Dante was there. He had a fight with his best friend and I overheard him say that he was getting too close to Sonny and his family and that he wasn't a monster but an 'undercover cop'. I waited for his best friend and partner to leave before I said aloud, 'You're an undercover!' He tried to get me to shut up but I was so out of it, I wouldn't listen. I kept on saying 'you're undercover cop' so he took me to his room over Kelly's...

_**Cont_going_sleep**_

I ripped open his shirt and started to take his shirt off but he was a stand up guy. He wouldn't let me because he didn't want it to get back to Sonny that he was an undercover cop. I must have fall asleep on his bed because the next day I woke up on his bed in his bedroom. The next day, he must have took a shower when I was still out but he was in the process of dressing when I woke up and scream. He quickly grabbed the towel and I buried my face in the pillow, Boy, was I embarrass." the best friends couldn't hold the laughter in any longer and it exploded and so did the alarms go off.


	10. Chapter 10: Awake or not pt2

Bold and italics are Nathan's thoughts

General Hospital's Nathan and Maxie story

The Shot: True Love Comes Once in a Lifetime

Chapter 10: Awake or not

The nurses come running in. One of the nurses start to push them out and said, "Please leave, so we have room to work. They went to sit down and Lulu wraps her arms around Maxie while they wait. It took an hour before Bethanie exits the room and walks over to where they are sitting. Maxie jumps up and ask, "Why did the alarms go off again?"

"Just some minor problems, but nothing serious, his IV alarms went off because the last rotation of nurses didn't bother to check them to make sure they were full and one of his leads came off. While they are still in his room, he is getting a sponge bath and changing the tube from the ventilator. During this time you should either go home for a couple of hours or at least freshen up in one of the doctor's locker room showers. Dr. Lenney has made it possible for you to use them while the detective is unconscious."

"Doesn't it sounds like a good plan, Maxie? You look like you could use a hot shower?"

"I_ guess it couldn't hurt. Bethanie, you will come and get us if he regain consciousness, right?" Maxie questioned.

"You know I will, Maxie."

They left to freshen up. While they were gone Felicia and Mac looks for Maxie but doesn't see her with Nathan and they don't see her in the visitors' waiting room. They come back to the nurses' station when they see the head nurse Bethanie, "Hi Bethanie. We are looking for either Maxie or Lulu? Do you know where they are?"

"Yes, they should be still in the locker room freshing up. I got them to take a shower while the nurses were taking care of Nat. We got together and put a couple of cots in there so they will get some sleep while they wait. I don't want to overstep my boundaries but she isn't getting enough sleep and if she keeps it up, it would just be Nathan in the hospital, she'll be joining him. The doctor is on the verge of prescribing sleeping pills to Maxie if you her parents or friends don't get her to leave the hospital so she can get non interrupted sleep. She is wearing herself out with being here 24/7 and not sleeping."

Felicia speaks, "We have tried to get her to rest but every time she does, she wakes up to a nightmare and wants to rush back to make sure he is still alive. I think the only way to get Maxie to go home for a couple of days, is for that guy in there to fully regain consciousness and then maybe she would sleep."

Bethanie sees, the girls coming and quickly said, "I'll let the doctor know but try to get her to go home at night."

They nodded their heads in an agreement because the girls were almost upon them. "Any change?" They both said together.

"No, they are just finishing up some things and will be right out. You have until 5 pm to visit that young man in there and then its for everyone to go home for the next 24 to 48 hours and relax. Maxie and Lulu, its negotiable and the doctor will make it longer if you don't do what he asks. If his vitals change before the 48 hours are up, he will sent his personal driver to pick you up and bring you back here fast plus he is well known by the current police comissioner." Bethanie hints. She loved their reactions to that small piece of info., and even her parents didn't know that.

_**Peace_finally_Why are_they coming_telling me_ things_**_

_**Detctive of the _ police_of Port_Charles_I am _detec_of New York_PD_**_

_**When to_get out_dark room_**_

_**Anyone_**_

Maxie went to the visitor's lounge and grab a cup of coffee and headed towards her man's room. Felicia sees that she had another cup and take sit away. "Thank you," Maxie puts her hand on her waist in digust.. "You had enough coffee for the day and only have three hours until the doc is making you go home for the next 48 hours."

"BUT MOM!" Maxie said in a pouted tone

"No, honey, if you something to drink, Max will go and bring back a bottle of water. You don't need anymore caffeine when in... her mother looks at her watch, five hours you are going home for at the next 24 to 48 hours. You need some sleep if you are going to be in any shape to help him when he needs it. You need to be 100% well rested when he does wake up from the coma. He's going to need you then more than he needs you now. So go in and visit your man while you have the chance because 5 o clock will get here before you know it."

Felicia and Maxie enters

_**Not again_can't _leave_give break_**_

Maxie asks her mom how was being the new mayor going and whatt her plans were for the city. After a while they talked about this and that, all the while Maxie was touching and holding his weak hand. They were so into talking and just watching Nathan that they didn't realized that it was 5 oclock until a nurse quietly clearded her throat and said, "Maxie, Felicia, its time for you to say goodbye. We need to do some check and other things.'

Maxie didn't want to leave but she didn't have the choice in the matter. If she had to she would sneak out of the house and vsit him before the 48 hours were up, if she had nothing to say. She kissed him goodbye and dragged her feet as Felicia carefully takes her hand and leads her out of the room.

A group of nurses enter and they go about taking care of his needs.

Lulu and Dante along with Mac were waiting outside the room. Unison they asks, "How is he?" The same.

"Well, Why don't we all get out of here?" A tired Dante asks

Even though she misses her son, she sees that her friend needs her so she turns to Dante and asks, 'I miss our son but I thnk Maxie needs me more so it all right for me to go home with Maxie for at least a couple of hours?"

Dante looks at Maxie and nods.

"I will bring her home later, Dante." Mac chimes in.

"Come Maxie, Lulu appeals to her best friend, lets get out of here before they decide for them to change it from 48 to 72 hours. You could really use some sleep."

"Buut I?"

"They have your phone number on speed dail and on his chart and everywhere you have written it. They will call you if he has a complications or wakes up. Besides, if you don't leave, they might decide not to let you back in after the 48 are over. He isn't going to be alone, the doc has a nurse staying with him at all times. By the time you get here, the nurses will be very happy to have you back, they will give you as much time as you want with him because they'll be so tired of him asking when he can leave the hospital."

"All right, Lets go before I change my mind."

They went to the elevator and no one spoke as it carried them down to the main floor. When they got there they said their goodbyes and made sure that if the hospital called one, the other would call them and they would get back here as quickly as they could.

No one said anything as they drove to their perspective homes.

_**Ahhh_quiet**_

Maxie, Lulu, Mac and Felicia arrived at Mac and Felicia's. Mac went to the back seat and picked up Maxie who had falling asleep on the way home and carried her to her old bedroom. Felicia and Maxie went into the kitchen to put sme food together. They sat and talked until Lulu couldn't keep her eyes opened and Felicia tells her that she could have to other bed. She promised her that the mayor would call Dante to tell him that Mac would bring Lulu home after she woke up from her nap.

Lulu agreed and heads up to Maxie's room and so fell asleep.

Mac called Dante and they both agreed to leave Lulu where she was at. Later Dante would tell his son that his mommy was helping her best friend and would see her when she came home tomorrow. They hung up.

"Hi, little one,' Dante picks up his son. "Were you good for your grandma?"

"He was an angel. He did wake up from his nap crying but grandpa was over and he settled down once he saw his gramps." Olivia replies to the question. "Where is Lulu?"  
>"She went home with Maxie and her parents. She... We decided that her friend needed her. Maxie isn't doing to good at this moment."<p>

"Why? Olivia asks. "I thought Nathan had woken up from the coma?"

"Yes and no. He is in what they are calling a 'Vegetative State', its a step up from being in coma but still unable to communication and no movement."

"Will he get better?" A worried Olivia asks

"They don't know when or if he will wake up. It could get to the point where they have to decide to transfer him to a long term facility or take him off of the ventilator. They also have kicked everyone out for the next 24 to 48 hours."

"Why?" Olivia questions

"Maxie. They are worried because his isn't awake and not showing signs like they want that Maxie will end up beside him. She is getting worn out and worried that she is and will lose him that she isn't taking care of herself."

"Where's Lulu?"

She is staying with Maxie because she thought it would help Maxie to sleep if her best friend was with her and she just needed to be around her friend. Mac will be bring her ba..." The phone rings.

"Yeah... Okay... Not problem... See her tomorrow... Bye"

"Who was that?"

"Mac. Lulu is sleeping and he didn't want to wake her up right now. So he was calling to let me know and that he would have her call me when she wakes up and that he would bring her home tomorrow." Dante responds to his mom's questions."

"Well, I got to go. Call me if you need me to watch this little guy. Hope your partner will get better and I'll might stop by to visit him when he can have visitors other than family. I'll pray 'Hail Marys'."

"Thanks, mom."

Mac, thank God she is sleeping, she desperately needs it."

"Yeah, she hasn't been getting enough sleep these past three months. It's taking a control of her life. He needs to wake up for her sake and his friends sake. I don't know how much more heartache my little girl can take." Felicia painfully realized.

"She has Lulu, Dante, Sam and us to help her through this. It's going to take everything we have to get her and Nathan through this," Mac added.

_**Nice sleep period._ Now its time_ to get_ out of_ dark room_ Okay_ **_

_**Need to_back to_Why_ this_hard_maybelater_too tired_do anything_now**_

The nurses continuely watched their patient and hoping for his fiancee's sake he would wake up when she came back. They have seen lot of families conscientiously watched their loved ones, some have come through it and other have losted their loved ones. This family, they hope would beat the odds and he would come out of the coma sooner than not at all. During those hours where they saw that his eyes were opened, they would talk to him like he could understand what they were saying, but never did they ever turned towards them and followed. They would touch and move his arms and legs to keep the blood circulating through them. Making sure the monitors were doing what they are to do and nothing obstructing the tube of the ventilator for his breathing.

The 48 hours passed but everything remained the same. Lulu woke up the next afternoon and Mac took her home and Maxie didn't even stirred when she left. Maxie continued to sleep another 12 hours before she was even aware that her friend left and her mom and dad hourly checked on her.

"You must have been more tired than you thought,?" Felicia point out as her daughter slowly enters the kitchen. "Do you want some breaskfast."

"What?" The sleepy looking Maxie ask.

"I asked if you would like some food to eat?"

"How long have I been out?" A confused Maxie asks

"Oh... 25 hours and 55 minutes, Why do you ask?" Her mom asks

"What did you say?" A flabbergasted Maxie replies back. "It can't be that long? I just at the hospital not ten minutes ago."

"Sorry, honey, but we haven't been at the hospital for over 25 hours. You fell asleep on our way home from the hospital. Even Lulu has gone back home after she slept here for over 12 hours.

"Why didn't you wake me up? Nathan needs me there. Are you hiding omething from me, mother?" A very upset Maxie asks

"Calm down Maxie. Nathan is still alive and he hasn't had any more complications. Your father and I have called and have gone to check on him and the doctor has been to see him. He has also called us to check up on you and was very pleased that you were sleeping."

"But why did you let me sleep that long?"

"The doctor put up a restriction on us visiting him for 48 hours, if you recall and also he implied that he would give you a sedactive if you didn't come home to sleep and for eating something other than General Hospital's cafeteria foods."

"Oh," her daughter sighs. "well in that case, I will have some pasta and pancakes, please."

"Coming right up and honey. "Mac is at the hospital visiting Nathan so when you are done eating, you can call him to check up on your fiance."

They did small talk as Felicia make her request of foods.

_**What_ dammit_fell asleep again. I have_ got to get_out of this_now**_

_Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz_

Liz and Bethanie were on shift, when they heard,

_Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz_

They looked at each other and ran to where the sound was coming from.

_Buzzzzzzzzz beepbeeeeeeeeeepbeeeep beeeeeeeep_


	11. Chapter 11: The Start pt 1

I really appreciate those who have read, review, and favored this story.

I was in the mood to write so I posting a second chapters for you.

The italics are Nathan's thoughts.

General Hospital's Nathan and Maxie story

Chapter 11: The Start: pt 1

"Look like what a cat dragged in," Mac said as he walks into the kitchen and see Maxie. "Finally awake sleephead."

"It's your fault," explains Maxie after swallowing her food. "If you had waken me up sooner than I wouldn't look this way."

Mac chuckles. "Don't blame me, blame it on the doctor," he replies. He is the one that has control over who and when people can visit their loved ones, so take it up with him not me. Besides, you really look a lot better than what you did 20 hours ago."

"Thanks, dad."

"Finish up while I go and call the hospital again to see if there has been any change since I left to go to the bar for while. A bartender called in sick so I had to cover until another could come in," Mac tells his girls. By the way, the doctor said that few of the restrictions are being lifted in the next hour or so."

Maxie was happy to hear that. "I need a shower before I head back up to the CCU. Come and get me if there's an update on my guy," she tells her mom.

Maxie didn't realized how much she missed a nice hot shower. She closed her eyes and dreaming that Nathan was in with her and was caressing her as he washes her with his favorite kind of soap and just enjoyed the closeness of them_ when knocking made her jump and interrupted her dream.

"knock_knock, Maxie?" Her mom shouts. "I'm coming in," as her mom slowly opens the door a crack.

Maxie peeps her head out. "What do you want? I'm in the middle of showering. Can't it wait?"

"Yeah, it can but I don't think you want me to wait," Felicia quickly responded back. "Its the hospital."

The word 'Hospital' is all it takes for Maxie to quickly finish up and heads towards the front door.

"Um_ Maxie," her mom spoke up. "Aren't you forgetting something," as the newly elected mayor-mom points to her.

Maxie looks down. "Oh, um, yeah... clothes_ I probably should put some on before going into the public. "Be right back, don't leave without me." As she runs up the stairs to get some real clothes on and not the towel that was wrapped around her.

An hour later, Maxie was ready and decent. They hurried to the car and went to the hospital.

They arrived at the hospital in under ten minutes but it felt like a lifetime for Maxie. His fiancee was in hurry that she couldn't for the elevator so she found the staircase and ran up them. Her mom wasn't in that much of a hurry to get up to Nathan's room so she patiently waited for the elevator. Once she gets to his floor, she takes out the phone and call Lulu.

"Hello, Lulu. Its Felicia. I wanted to tell you that the hospital called Maxie and we are here."

"Thanks, I'll be up there shortly." Lulu tells the mayor. "Dante got called into work so he isn't here to watch Rocco."

"There is no rush for you to get here right away. I will call you to tell you what is happening when I get a chance. We are fine, so why don't you spend some time with your son while you still can. I called into work so they aren't expecting me at the office."

"Okay, but if Maxie really need me there, please don't hesitate to phone me." Lulu replies

"Will do." Felicia answers back. "I got to go, Maxie is motioning me that the doctor is coming. Talk to you later. Bye."

"Bye... Lulu hangs the phone up. "I hope it good news and nothing bad. I don't think she can handle any more bad news. Lets get you ready."

Knock knock. "Lulu... Lulu, its Olivia. I thought you might need..." Lulu opens the door. "So glad you stop by, I need to get to the hospital..."

"Hand him to me and go. I got him. Calll me with an update when you can!"

"Thanks for the help. Love you pumpkin, see you later," as Lulu kisses her son and heads out the door.

_**Whats_ noise_ Who are_people_ get your _hands_off me_**_

Maxie asks, "What's happening?" As she sees the nurses rushing in and out of his room, but no one had the time to respond.

She sees the doctor and rushed to him, "What's going on?"

"I don't know. I just got the paged and will let you know when I'm done examing him and run some tests." He quickly enters and yells, "What have we got?"

A nurse entering the room and closes the door.

We were talking when the monitor's alarms went off. We din't know who it was until we got closer the rooms and to our surprised it was coming from here. We were doing our preliminary check and Bethanie thought she saw some movement but wasn't too sure. She started talking to him but she hasn't gotten a response back. We didn't know what to make out of it so I paged you and here we are.

Bethanie takes his hand. "Nathan, this is nurse Bethanie. Can you hear me?"

_**What?_ she wants me_ to do_Why_**_

We need to know because there are people waiting for you."

_**What people?_ **_

I would like for you if you can to squeeze my hand... Or if that's too hard to do, try opening your eyes and blink for me if you can understand me?"

_**Why would_ I do that for_ comfortable here_**_

"Nothing,"

"Okay, we'll try later but first I need to run tests. I want some blood and urine samples and put a rush on it. I want an MRI and CT done. While you get him ready to transport for those tests, I'm going to update his fiancee and her family." Dr Lenney tells the nurses. "I also want an EEG done as well."

_**Here I go again_ with the_noises**_

Maxie sees the doctor exiting in the room and rans to him, "I know you want to see him but first there are some things that I need to go through with you so let's go to the private family room." the doc tells them and they follow.

"Please have a seat," he said as he points to the chairs. "We think he might be waking up from the coma but weren't able to get him to respond so we are going to take him for some tests to see if there is any blockage or if its just because of him being in coma for a long period of time. If I had to guess, he very slowly coming out of the vegetative state. Once we have those questions, it will give us some clue as to how long it might take him to get some awareness of his surrounding. After the tests, we will be bring to the ICU floor.

"But" Maxie spoke up.

"Maxie, this is a good sign and he will get better and stronger. It's just going to a little bit longer than what you want. He's still here and fighting, don't give up on him just yet." Felicia tells her as she secretly hopes.

"Im going to go with Nathan for the tests and I'll be back with hopefully more good news. With all the tests, it will be 3 to 4 hours before he will be in his new room in the ICU, so why don't you relax and make your way down to the visitor's lounge and I'll meet you there after the tests are finished.

_**Why is it so cold_ where u_ taking me**_

"Nathan?"

_**Is that_ me_**_

"Nathan?"

_**Can't_ remember_**_

"This is nurse Liz, she slowly tell him what they are doning and going with him. "I know you are a little cold but we are taking for some tests."

_**Tests?_ Why them**_

We need to see if you are coming out of what we call 'coma' and to see if we can take this tube...

_**WHAT_ tube_cold_**_

Once the tests and that is done, we will be taking you to another room and you can sleep and just relax. I need to ask you a question before we head out. "If you can understand me, open your eyes and blink or try squeezing my hand." Liz waits

_**You want_ to do what_ blink_ if it_ gets me out_ dark place_ I_try**_

_**Here goes_ **_

_**WOW_ beauty_. where_other_**_

"What is taking so long," Maxie whined

"Its only been an hour, Maxie and they said it could take 3 to 4," Mac explains.

"While we wait, I told Lulu that I would call and give her an update." Felicia just remembered Lulu.

"Speak of the devil, here she is and is carrying a bag."

"What took me so long is that I stopped by the Haunted Star and got some food for us from Kelly's... "Why are you out here instead of Nathan's room?" a very curious Lulu asks.

Mac begans to tell her the good news. "The alarms went off early this morning and Liz and nurse Bethanie went to see who it was and it was Nathan's. They paged Dr. Lenney. They think he is waking up but they don't know for sure until they run the tests. We were just about to go down to the ICU floor when we saw you coming. Thank goodness, you came when you did or you have missed us. Why don't we go to the cafeteria and eat before going to the 4th floor."

They all thought it was a good idea and so they went.

They were just getting to the ICU area when Maxie was the first person to see Nat's bed coming towards his new room. But they had to wait for the nurses to get him settle and for the ICU nurses to transfer him into his new bed and update his chart.

"As they are getting him settle in his ICU rom, I will tell you what we find in the tests." stated Dr. Lenney. "Lets go in this room and talk privately."

They piled in the room. "I forgot to give instructions to LIz, so I'll be back very quickly."

He didn't have to go far to find her. "Liz, make sure that every hour they go in and see if they can get any response from Nat. and as soon as thats done, can you please came back here and sit in with us.

"Okay"

The doctor reenters the room. "Okay, this is what the tests have shown. There is no blockage at this time but will continue to watch for any signs that of it happening. We took out the tube and closed it up where we had done the brain surgery. We also watch that closely to making sure thats healing nicely and no infection concurs. The tests also show that his heart still healing and the fluids around the heart is gone. The lungs are clean of infection. The thing that has us still worried about and won't know until he is awake, is the paralysis. The tests still show that the swelling isn't going down like it should. We will be doing more tests at a later date and will be bring in an expert that specializes in the spinal cord and spine. I'll discuss that in more depth at a later time as well. Now to the news that you have been waiting for..."

Maxie stood up and proclaim, "Go on, I can't take it any more spill,"

"Liz was able to get Nathan to respond to her by opening his eyes. That was the first step but I have to warn you, he might not be able to respond every time you ask him. He is still recovering so one day he might respond and the next doesn't. You can't force him to open his eyes, he has to do it on his own time. If he happens to respond to you, you are to tell a nurse so she can write it down in his chart. Is everyone clear on that?"

"Yes"

"If there's not any more questions, you can visit with Nathan for a couple of hours but I expect everyone to go home when the ICU visiting hours are over. Is that clear?"

They all shook their heads in agreement. Maxie just wanted to see him. She had been waiting for this day to happen.

Nathan opens his eyes. _**Different room_still_ ugly color_ Why can't _move**_

A/N: Working on chapter 12.


	12. Chapter 12: The Start pt 2

I used to have to watch clips of Dante and Lulu for me to fall asleep when I had trouble. Now it has become Nathan and Maxie clips and since the internet can't want to connect, I started to write this chapter along with chapters 10 and 11.

General Hospital's Nathan and Maxie story

The Shot: True Love Comes Once in a Lifetime

Chapter 12: The Start: pt 2

Liz was checking the monitors and his vitals as she talks to Nathan.

"Hi. Nathan. How are you? My name is Liz and I'm your nurse for the day. Everything is..."

_**Where **__**am I?**__**_ **_as his eyes move to see where he was_** _ **___

"Well, hi there, Nathan. You are in the hospital."

_**Hospital?**_

"Yea, you were injured..."

_**Hurt_**_

I'm going to ask you some questions and what I need for you to do is answer them by blinking your eyes. Blink once for 'yes' amd twice for 'no'. Do you understand?

**blink**

Okay thats good. Do you know where you are?

**blink**

thats good. Do you remember your name?

**blink_blink**

Okay. Don't worry about that. We'll come back to that question later.

**But_**

Next question. Are you in any pain?

**blink_ blink**

Okay. Thats it for now, rest and I'll come back later to check on you.

_**Wait_**__** Don't_**_

Liz left and was greeted out the door of Nathan's by Maxie, Lulu and her parents.

"How is he, Liz?" Maxie asked.

"He is doing good. He woke up and answered some questions, but he fell back to sleep."

"Can I go in and sit with him?"

"Sure, talk to him, hold his hand but if he wakes up again, you call me immediately."

"Okay but why is he sleeping so much? Shouldn't he be awake more?" Maxie inquired

"No. because he just came out of a coma after 3 months and still healing from brain surgery. His body is trying to catch up and so he will be awake one minutes and sleeping the next. It will be like that for another week before he will be awak more than being asleep. Its going to take time and patience on your and his part. I got to go and check on other patients," Liz explains. "I'll let you know when the doctor does his rounds and he can answer any questions that you might have. Go on."

"Thanks Liz" and Maxie goes in and sits quietly by his side, listening to the sounds of the monitors and the swooshing sound of the ventilator.

Three hour later, she couldn't keep quiet any more so she talked to him like he could hear her and she just pour out what was in her heart.

He slowly opens his eyes not wanting whoever was in here with him to know that he was awake...

_**Her_she_beautiful voice_why_stop**_

Hi there. I see that you are awake. My name is Maxie...

_**Oh, its_u**_

I have been waiting forever to see those gorgeous blue-green eyes of yours.

_**How long_**_

It's been over three months since I last saw them. You and your partner were going to transport a criminal when you were shot.

_**Partner_ where_I_**_

It was touch and go for awhile but now things are looking up for us

_**Us? There_no_us. First time_met_u**_

I babble alot but you always enjoy it when I did. You have said that you wouldn't change a thing about it and thats how you fell so in love with me.

_**Love_me_u_ in your dreams**_

I can tell by the look in your eyes, you are probably thinking, _"Love you, in your dreams'_

_**How_not possible_ Mind reader_**_

You are probably thinking that I'm a '_mind reader__'__._ I will tell you why, I used to work for a lady that thought I could read what she wanted in her magazine so I had learn to reading what she wanted and soon it became natural to me. She started putting me in charge of small things and went on to become the head editor so thats how I learned to read other people's expressions and thoughts.

_**Night_**_

Maxie looks to Nathan, "Oh rats, he asleep again."I will let you rest for now but doesn't mean you are going to get rid of me that easy, if you think that, then you are sadly mistaken I always get what I want. I can't wait until he was awake more than sleeping. She missed his smile, laughter, and especially his eyes. They were the sexist eyes she ever seen, they were blue one time and the next they were green.

She stayed by his side until a nurse came in and asks her to leave because she needed to once again update his chart and clean him.

Maxie decided to go to the cafe and get some food. Her phone rings, "Yes. Lulu I'm at the cafe. They had to update the chart among other personal things. Yea. Just got here."

Lulu, Rocco, and Maxie had a wonderful lunch and they headed up to see Nathan again. They got there just as they were leaving his room, "Can we go in?"

"Yea, but not too long, visiting hours are almost done." replies ICU nurse

"Lulu," as Maxie takes him from his mother, "Why don't you visit while this little cutie stays with his auntie."

"Are you sure?" Lulu questions her

"Yes, I'm sure. Go on. I got him." counters back to her friend

"I know you are probably wondering who all these strangers are coming in and out and talking to you," Lulu pauses to see if he was awake. "yea? I will tell you, we are friends. We meet you early this year when you transferred to the Port Charles police department. You were here to find the guy who 'killed' you sis but later you found out that she was alive, but that part is for a later date. You became my husband's partner and later became friends. You sublit an apartment from a girl that went to find herself. When she came back, you continued to rent and she stay in the other room. You became friends and things happened between you and this girl, but, again, this is a story for another time. Well, the nurse is telling me its time to leave so I'll let you have some peace and quiet."

"How does he look?" Maxie asks Lulu

"His color is coming back and he is looking better than he did a couple days ago." she tells her friend

"I just wish he would stay awake longer than he is. I try to talk to him and he falls asleep in a middle of what I'm saying. It is frustrating." Maxie explains

"Maxie,"Lulu puts her hand on her friend's arm, "You have to remember that he was in coma for more than four months and just regain consciousness and slowly coming around. He isn't going to be in any shape for companying until he has the chance to heal a little more. You just have to be patience. He will get better in his time not ours."

"I know, its just hard to wait patiently." Maxie mumbles

"Why don't you go in while you have some time left and Rocco and I will wait for you." replies Lulu

"Thanks, Lu. You're the best!"

"I know. Go on." she replies back

Maxie lends over and kisses his forehead before taking his hand and sat. She watched him and didn't say a word. She was so memorized by him that she didn't notice him staring at her.

A/N: I'll try to get the next chapter up later todate or early morning Jan. 30.


	13. Chapter 13: Awake

General Hospital Nathan and Maxie story

The Shot: True Love Comes Once in a Lifetime

Chapter 13

"Well hello there. I was hoping you would be awake when I visit you. The last couple of times I visited you weren't."

Nathan grunts

"Don't try to speak. You are on the ventilator. If you want me to stayor leave, just blink once for 'yes' and twice for 'no'.

_**Do I... or don't... Guess_for now, I'll let her talk_ blink_**_

"Thank you. I don't if you remember who I am?"

_**Not really_ but_I'll listen_**_

"My name is Maxie and I'm your fiancee."

His eyes open widely... _**What?**_

"Well, thats what we told the staff when you were brought in and it just stuck. We are more girlfriend/boyfriend than lovers. We haven't gotten that far, yet.

_**Thats good to hear. I _**_

We wanted to but things are so mess that we decided to wait. I needed to heal from something I did last year and being the gentleman that you are, you haven't pushed me into anything but have stay beside me through out it. I haven't told you how appreciating that is to me. Thank you."

_**Okay. Wheres_ annoying_**_Nat's eyes starts to close...

Maxie sees that and slow says, "Go ahead and sleep, I'll be here until you do and than I'll...

He tries to motion with his head that he didn't want her to leave. He then tried to move his hand but he could only repeatingly blink.

"Are you in pain?"

_**Blink blink**_

"You want me to get a nurse?"

_**Blink blink**_

"You want me to stay?"

_**Blink**_

"Okay, I'll stay."

With that, he closed his eyes as she quietly says, "sommeil... Je serai la' quand tu te re'veilleras... Je te aime"

She hate seeing all the leads and tubes coming out and the mechanical ventilation breathing for him but knew that it was keeping him alive because he could not breath on his own. She hoped that in the coming days or weeks that he would be strong enough to breathe on his own. They had to do a couple of tests on him in order for them to even consider taking him off the machine so that he could breathe on his own without the vent doing the breathing for him. They didn't want the stress of trying to breathe undo all the hard work they had fixed. If they were to take him off the vent too soon, it could do irreversible damage to his still healing heart and brain.

She gently laid her head down by his hand and embrace it into hers and closed her eyes.

It was Bethanie's duty to check on Nathan along with his IVs and monitors but when she saw Maxie with her hand intertwine with the patient's, she decided that it was not imperative to make his fiancee leave while she updated his chart. She saw that her patient seemed to be more relax as he slept when his fiancee was there with him than when she wasn't.

Bethanie's shift had come and gone but before she left, she checked his temperature and found it to be slight up. As she told the nurses coming on shift that the patient in RM 201 had a slight temp. and if it went up over 101'F, they were to call the doctor. She also explained that Maxie was in there with the patient and that she looked exhausted that she didn't have the heart to wake her.

It was against the rules to let someone stay in the ICU rooms unless it was as a patient, but the nurses decided that if his temp. went up to the point where it called for them to call the doctor, they would just let her be. She wasn't in their way at this point and time so they just left her and they thought it was cute.

Maxie had been awake for about 2 hours now. She was hoping that he would wake up before they kicked her out but that wasn't in the cards.

They checked his temp every half hour and it was in the fourth hour that it went 'hell in a hang basket' for Nathan, as the alarms go off.

Maxie exiting the room to get help some help from one of the nurses on the floor when she rans into a nurse that was about to enter, "I was just watching him when his lips started to turn blue and he was having trouble breathing."

The nurse did a quick look and push the button "Code Blue... Code Blue"

"What's happening?" A frantic Maxie asks

"Miss, you need to leave, NOW," as the nurse pushes Maxie out of the room. The nurse continues in a strict voice,"I'm not going to ask you again."

She runs over to the patient and puts her hands on his shoulder to keep him steady, "He's having a seizure... as a team of emergency doctors and nurses comes running.

A doctor checked his eyes and said, "pupils are dilated and unreactive"

"He is unresponsive. His temperature is at 103 and going up"

"Let's go. We need to get him up to the OR, **STAT**."

A nurse unhooks the tube from the ventilator and replaces it with an Ambu bag so when they move the bed, a nurse can pump air into the bag to help him breathe and keep oxygen flowing to the brain.

Another nurse had left to call the OR to tell them that they were coming up with a patient that is unresponsive and might need surgery for another bleeder that it could have been too small at that time to see it and might need surgery to correct it.

They did an MRI and found a small bleeder near the heart. They quickly fix it and Nathan was back in the CCU four hours after he had the surgery to correct the bleed and twelve hours under the watchful eye of a nurse.

Meanwhile, Maxie was scare that he wouldn't make it and no doctors or nurses came to let her know what was going on with him. They didn't have the nerve to come and explain what was happening nor did they sent a nurse to explain what was going on.

She had enough and went to the nurses station to see if they would call up the OR and find out if he was in surgery or not.

Epiphany had just arrived for her shift. She saw the look on Maxie's face and automatic called a nurse over and told her to find out what was going on with Nathan. It took the nurse an hour and half to get the information back to her.

Epiphany breaks it down for her, "They had to do surgery to repair a small bleed before it did more damage to his heart. He is in CCU for the next 12 hours but they are letting you go and visit him and once again have to wash your hands and put on full protection gear."

Maxie thanks the head nurse for her help before heading up to see Nathan.

"All right, detective. You listen to me very closely, don't you ever scare me like that again because I don't know how much more I can take. I love you and I don't want to lose you before we get a chance to explore our feelings for each other. You fight with everything you got." Maxie demands of her fiance.

They gave her about two and half hours alone time with him before they told her that she had to leave until tomorrow morning when the visitation hours started again. She kissed him goodbye and left. She called Mac to pick her up.

Maxie met Mac at the main floor entrance and they both did not say word on the way home. She went straight to bed and cried herself to sleep.

The next afternoon, had lunch before Mac took her back to the hospital. They had called very early morning but she was already sleeping and Mac didn't want to wake her up. Dr. Lenney told her father that Nat had improved more than what they thought he would, so he scheduled him to be moved back to ICU early. Mac was relieved to hear that and so was his daughter.

Mac stand with Maxie throughout the afternoon and left when Dante and Lulu come around 3pm. Lulu gave Maxie a big hug and asked, "What happened last night? We thought he was on the mend."

"I did too, but I guess he wanted more attention than what he already getting." Maxie jokes

"Come on, he is only getting the attention to the hospital staff," Dante states. "If he wants attention from us, he needs to wake up and heal quicker."

_**What happened? **_Nathan opens his eyes.

"Look who's awake?" Bethanie says when she looks over and sees her patient is awake. "You gave us quite a scare twelve hours ago."

_**What_**_

"My name is Bethanie. Do you remember where you are?"

_**Blink_ Blink**_

"That's okay. Give it time and it will come back. I need to let the doctor know that you are conscious," she said as she checks his IVs and chest tube.

_**I wish she would just tell me_. Can't talk with this_down my_. I know_ **_He starts fighting the tube...

Beth sees what he is trying to do, "DON'T. You need that to breathe right now. She yells for the doctor, "Ethan... Ethan, I need some help in here!"

Lenney hears his name being called and rush into the room, "What's going on?"

"He's trying to take out the tube." Bethanie replies as she tries to alm him down before he does any damage but he wasn't listen.

Lenney goes to the door and shouts, "I need 10cc of Fentanyl and a IV drip, STAT"

Maxie hears the yelling and runs into the room and starts trying to help calm Nathan down. She looks down at her fiance and say, "Nathan, I need you to calm down for me or they will put you under. I know you want that thing out but right now you need that tube to breathe. You have had lots of surgeries and complications that it is imparative that the ventilator needs to stay in." Maxie took his hand into her and continues softly talking to him. "Hush... think good thoughts... think about all the times we just cuddle into each other arms without saying words... thats it, nice and slow... in and out... think about when your mom would sing you...

*_Je t'ai promis que je ne te quitterais jamais_

_Et tu devrais toujours savoir _

_Que ou' que tu puisses aller _

_Ou' que tu sois _

_Ou' ne serai jamais tres' lion_

At the same time Maxie was working to get him to calm down; the doctor administer the med. "He will be a little out of it but it's for his own good. Let go outside the room and I'll explain what I just gave him. He lets Maxie go ahead of him and he closes the door.

A drowsy Nathan asks, "_**No**__**_**_

"The Fentanyl drip is a sedative and it will continuely keep him calm and not wanting to fight the vent. If this doesn't help, we will try a strong sedative or we will put him a medical induce coma until we are satistified that he can handle us trying to get him off of the mechanical ventilation. This setback, it is looking that he will be on the ventilator longer than what we had anticipated but that also if we don't see an improvement his heart rate and BP." he finished by saying, "Do you have any questions or concerns?"

"Can I go back in and sit with him," asked Maxie

"Yes, but try not to get him agitated. He need to stay calm and relax or he will be here a lot longer than he or this staff wants him to be." replies Dr. Ethan

_**Dammit_ still in_ **_he turns his head as much as he could. **_HI__**

Maxie looks up from the magazine that a candy stripper had given to her. "I see that you are awake."

_**blink_ Hi_ **_

You gave me quite a scare yesterday...

_**Been a day_**_

They had to rush you back into surgery...

_**Again_**_

"Feeling drowsy?"

_**Blink**_

"Remember anything from this morning?"

_**Blink_ Blink**_

Gave you a sedative...

_**Sedative_ Why_**_

You were fighting the machine and they didn't want you to hurt yourself. You need it to help you breathe.

_**How much longer_**_

Depends on you...

_**ME?**_

Yea, they don't like what they are seeing in your chart

_**What_it**_

They need to see you turn the corner or the vent will stay on until you do

_**What I to do?**_

You need to keep calm and let the machine do the work for you and need to let the medicnes do their job

_**Okay_ stay?**_

I can but if you give the nurses a rough time, let won't let me stay.

_**Name_ again?**_

Maxie. You have another visitors that would like to visit. Can they?

_**Blink_ What_ their_**_

Lulu, Dante, he is also your coworker in PCPD.

_**Blink_ any more?**_

Yea. Maxie's parents, Felicia and Mac

_**Blink_ other's**_

Your mom.

_**Blink_ Blink_**_

Ok. I will tell the nurses no to your mom. She won't like it.

_**Don't_care_ mad at her_**_

You are going to have to see her some time...

_**No_ don't**_

Let's stop talking about your mom. Love your eyes...

_**Thanks_yours too**_

Thanks.

_**What_ you_read_**_

It some Fashion Mag.

_**In_fashion?**_

Used to...

_**And_ now?**_

Being a mom

_**MOM?**_

Yea, she is a year old. She love for you to play with her.

_**Play?_ Mine?**_

Nooooo. From a previous relationship.

_**Ok_ happen?**_

Did some thing I'm not proud of but you don't need to hear it just yet. Sore subject. Anyway. Are you getting tired?"

_**Blink_ little_ don't want_**_

Remember what I told you earlier?

_**Yea_ but_want**_

Want me to stay, you do. I'm not going anywhere. If I do, I will let you know.

_**Fine_ you_**_

Yes, now close your eyes... sommeil. nite. She stares at him as his eyes start to close...

The French words: "sommeil" means 'sleep'; "je serai la'" means 'I will be here when you wake up'; and of course "Je te aime" means 'I love you'. I found the Goodnight My Angel lullaby from . I do not own or have not written the lyrics/song. Taken from .

*Lullaby words in English:

_O promised I would never leave you_

_And you should always know_

_Wherever you may go_

_No matter where you are_

_I never will be far away_

Since Nathan knows French and I don't. I was wondering if anyone knows a French lullaby or lullaby that can be translate into French? I would very much appreciate it, if you would please PM or put it in the review section. Thanks.

Chapter 14 is being written.


	14. Chapter 14: Awake pt 2

General Hospital Nathan and Maxie story

The Shot: True Love Comes Once in a Lifetime

Chapter 14

When I have Dante, Maxie, Lulu, or anyone else talking one on one with Nathan, I'm not going to put "_" around them talking. I don't know if its proper writing or not, its just easier for me when I write not to do it. But if you want me to, I'll go back and correct it. Bold words are what Nathan is thinking because he, of course, has a tube down his throat.

Nathan did continued to improve, but there was still a few things that were undecided. First, when would they try to have him breathe on his own and second, will he walk again. Those two things were in the back of everyone minds and hearts but they couldn't bring themselves to ask the doctors.

Maxie was glad that he didn't kick her out like he did so many other times. Dante and Lulu were happy that he was willing for them to visit him. Police officers were cheering him on and praying that he would make a full recovery and be back on the force in a year or two.

The doctors and nurses were astonished that he was slowly returning the corner but still had a month to two to be moved to a regular room and start with the basic things such as regain strength in his arms and legs, learning to sit up for a couple of minutes or two and learning to talk again. Those things were months away from starting and a long road to the end.

He would do one of the hardest task he would ever do to begin his road of recovery; he has to relearning to breathe without the mechanical ventilation breathing for him. The other tasks would follow after learning to breath on his own.

The group agreed to meet in three weeks to decide if they thought he was ready or not because they didn't want complications to arise because they waited too long.

Dante was in the room when he hears movement from Nathan.

Hi

_**Who_you?**_

My name is Dante. I'm your partner for the Port Charles Police Department.

**_Okay_ so?_**

You moved here in January.

_**Don't remember_ **__**but **__**Okay_**_

We became friends. My wife name is Lulu.

_**Okay_**_

The blondie who has been so worried about you and constantly visiting you, is my wife's best friend, Maxie.

**_So__**

Maxie and you are dating.

_**Ok**_

I know you don't remember me but one day you will. You got to believe that as do I. Looking forward you coming back and work with me as my partner."

_**Wish_ remember you, too but_ I don't**_

Probably wish that tube was out? I remember when I had one...

_**What? You_wonder when_ that was?**_

Twice, actually

_**WOW_ happen?**_

If I tire you out with my talking, just let me know

_**Blink_**_

I got shot by Sonny. They put a tube for the surgery and then after surgery for 24 hours because the bullet hit close to my heart. They wanted to make sure that my heart had some help until they were satisfy that I wouldn't have problems with it.

_**What_**_

I was in the hospital for two half months.

_**Oooo_**_

The other time I got shot in the back and they had to take out part of my right lung. That time, I had the awful tube for a week and I hated it. When I wanted to talk, I did that by writing on a pad and that was if I could stay awake long enough to write. Most of the time, I had to communicate by blinking, too and that even sucked more.

_**I agree_ it sucks_ Wonder when I'm_ going to get rid_ of this tube**_

Don't want to give you false hope, but I have heard they might test you to see if you can handle breathing on your own within the next two weeks.

_**Wish it_today**_

Look on the bright side, you have Maxie and the nurses on your 'beck and call'.

_**Great_only_eyes_ her**_

I see that you are getting tired, so I'm just going to sit here for a little bit. Rest while you still can because when you are strong enough, you are going to be having therapy and you will be begging for sleep. I can tell you from personal experience, it sucks, big time. I had it because I needed to relearn how to breathe with only having one full lung and a partial one and 'boy' did I hate doing it. My mom and especially Lulu would asked if I was okay. If I breathed wrong or was out of breathe just by walking a few steps, they would come running to see if I needed to go back to the doctor. One time, Lulu was so worried that she came to GH and got my doctor to make a house call. Of course, the doctor was dating my mom and they had just finished eating when Lulu came flying into here. It wasn't funny that the time but later I realized that I scared them and they just wanted me to be okay. Done talking, sleep.

_**OK**_

Dante knew that looking at his partner would feel weird to the both of them if his partner knew that he was staring at him but Dante couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right about his friend's color. He went to find the doctor, but he found Elizabeth instead.

"Liz, I was wonder if you could check on Nathan for me, his color doesn't look right to me. I don't know if its just how the light is or if I'm just imagining it." asked Dante

"Not a problem. I was just about to head there after I had updated another patient's chart," replies Liz. "He's color does look a little pale but I need you to leave so I can do a further examination before I decide if it is warranted that I need to call the doctor."

"I'm going to call M...

"Don't call her. I don't want to cause her any more unnecessary grief unless I need to," Liz asked. "She needs sleep more than worrying about Nathan."

"Okay, but if its something serious, I'm calling her." Dante tells her with a calm but stern voice. He then leaves.

Liz comes out. "His color isn't good, but nothing to worry about now. I'll let the doctor know and see what he says."

"Thanks. I'm going to back in to sit with him. Please let me know what he says."

"You know I will. All the staff is rooting and praying for him." Liz acknowledges.

An hour later, Dante looks up and see Nathan awake again.

Wow, that was quick, you were asleep for three hours. Are you awake enough to play a game?

_**Blink**_

It's called an alphabet game. Its where I say a letter and when I come to the letter, you blink and then we start over again until we finish the word and/or sentence. Does that sound like a plan to you?

_**Blink**_

Let's start with an easy question? Okay?

_**Blink**_

How are you feeling? a... b...c...d...e...f...

_**Blink **_

We got 'f'. g...h...i...

_**Blink **_

Okay, 'i'. j...k...l...m...n...

_**Blink **_

Okay 'n'. o...p...q...r...s...t...u...v...w...x...y...z... a...b...c...d...e...

_**Blink**_

Okay, 'e'. Fine?

_**Blink**_

That's good to hear. Do you need anything?

_**Blink_ Blink**_

Okay.

There was a knock and Dr. Lenney comes in. "Hi, Dante and Nathan. Dante, I'm going to ask you to leave, so I can exam him."

_**Blink Blink Blink Blink Blink**_

The doctor sees his patient's agitation and tries to calm him, "Dante will come back in once I am done."

Looking right at Nathan, Dante says, "I'll be right outside the room, Okay?"

_**Blink**_

"You won't be alone." Dantes adds. He leaves.

An hour later, the doctor opens the door and said, "You can come back in. He fell asleep halfway through the exam."

"How is he?"

"He is going as well as we expected. He has a slight fever but nothing to worry about, I did order some Tylenol for it. The team of doctors and myself decided that we weren't going to take him off the machine for another 3 weeks but I think it would be in his best interest to get him off the vent as soon as possible. I'm going to confer with a team of doctors and then there is a need for another set of tests before I make the final decision. I don't know how long it will take but it should be within the next couple of hours."

"How long will it take for him to be completely off the ventilator?" Dante questions.

"Since he has been on the vent for over 4 months and with the surgeries he has been through it could take a week or more. We don't want his heart and lungs to suffer any more stress or damage from taking it out too soon." Ethan responded back

"Does he know this?" Dante asks

"I didn't get a chance before he was asleep." the doctor states. "I will be back after the meeting with the team. If he wakes up, please let a nurse know so she can page me."

"I will." Dante responds. The doctor leaves.

Dante calls Maxie before he heads back into the room. She answers and tells him that she isin the parking garage and will be up to see Nathan shortly.

Dante sees that Nathan is awake again. "Good to see you awake. Maxie is on her way up."

_**Great_**_

The doctor was here but didn't even finish the examination before you were sleeping. I need to let a nurse know that you are awake. I will be right back...

_**Blink_ Blink**_

"Not going far, I'm just stick my head out the door and find a nurse," Dante slowly tells Nat before he goes. "Hey, Liz."

"Yes, Dante."

"Nathan is awake."

"Thanks for letting me know." Liz walks towards the phone.

"See I told you I wasn't going far." Dante said while he looks into his friend's eyes as he spoke.

_**Thanks...**_

Maxie enters and asks Dante, "How is he doing today?"

_**Blink_ as well as I can_ with this thing_down my throat.**_

"The doctor said that he is making progress," Dante continues, he got as far as, "Things are looking up except for..." before the doctor stops him.

Dr. Ethan Lenney "Um... Excuse me," he said as he clears his throat. "I will take it from here, Det. Dante," as he walks up to where his patient. I got a couple of questions to ask you. I know you probably sick to death of nurses and me asking you the same old questions, but 'Are you doing okay?'

_**Blink_ Just took a three hour nap? Why do I feel so tired?**_

Ethan sees that his patient is having trouble keeping his eyes opened, so he says, "The reason you might feel a little disconnected is because you were fighting the ventilator before you are well enough for us to take it out, so we had to sedated you. Do you understand so far?

_**Blink**__**_**_

"Okay. I will continue. My associates and I have decided to start the process of removing the tube. We will begin the process tomorrow morning around 11 am. We are doing it tomorrow because it will take about a week to get you completely off and we want you to be well rested for the long day that will be ahead for you. In another three hours, a nurse will be given you a sedative to help you sleep through the night. Okay?"

_**Blink_**_

"I will explain in more details on how this will work tomorrow but for now, just spend some time with your friends and I will see you in the morning."

_**Blink**_

Ethan shuts the door as he leaves to give them some time alone

"I wasn't expecting that when I came back." Maxie stands up and leans over the bed so that Nathan could read her lips and ask, "Do you want me to be here with you when they start the process?"

He thought for a minute... _**Blink**_

"Good." replies Maxie. "I was afraid that you wouldn't want me here."

_**I don't_ but you would be_ driving the nurses crazy_walking up and down the_hallway.**_


	15. Chapter 15: Awake pt 3

General Hospital Nathan and Maxie story

The Shot: True Love Comes Once in a Lifetime

Chapter 15

"Good." replies Maxie. "I was afraid that you wouldn't want me here."

_**I don't_ but you would be_ driving the nurses crazy_walking up and down the_hallway.**_

You know that I would.

_**How_ **_

Your eyes. They change color from blue to green and you roll them. Holding up okay?

_**Blink**_

If you are tired or just want to close your eyes then go ahead. I have nothing better to do so I'm just going to sit here and enjoy your company until they kick me out.

_**Fine by me**_

My daughter misses you. When I get home, she is always holding that doll you gave her and waits to see you are coming in behind me. When she doesn't see you, she gets this look that says, "Where is Nat?" I have to tell her you have a big owie and in the hospital and that you won't be able to see her until it gets all better. She pouts for a few seconds but then she has to cuddle with me and minutes later, she back playing with that doll. She also loves sleeping in the shirt that you wore when she first meet you. I try washing it but she always tells me 'No' and I just don't have the heart to wash it. I put her to bed but she cries for you when I do. I even have a picture of you on the wall at the foot of the crib and she still won't settle down. I sing the French lullaby that you taught me but that only worked for the first few nights. Finally I just gave up and now we share the bed and she alway has to lay on the side you slept on.

In the short time, she has known you, she is very smitten with you. When Mac tries to pick her up, she always calls out for you. She even runs around the apartment, looking for you. I hate having to explain things over and over with her but she doesn't understand why you aren't there. She really misses you.

_**I wish that_ I remembered her **_

I wish you did, too.

There was a knock. Maxie motions the nurse to come in.

"Hi, Nathan. My name is Bethanie. I'm here to give you the sedative that Dr. Lenney ordered, but first I have to take your blood pressure and your temp. After she did that, she continues, 'It is a fast acting med, Maxie, so you need to finish your final thought and let him rest because he has a long and busy day ahead of him and want him to be well-rested for tomorrow.'

Nathan, I am on duty all night long so if by some reason it doesn't last through the night, the doctor has prescribed another dose of the med."

"Thanks, Bethanie."

"Just doing my job, but you are welcome. Goodnight." Bethanie said before she left the room.

"Well, I should be getting home and spend time with my daughter before I have to put her to bed. I don't want to leave but she needs her mother and I miss her just as much as I miss you when I'm not here. We say a prayer for you every night before we get into the bed.

My parents are staying the night so they will be there to watch Georgie, so I can sneak in later tonight but if I don't make it back, I will see you in the morning. Goodnight, Nathan." and she kiss his forehead. As she gets to the door, she turns toward the bed one last time before exiting and quietly closes it.

She finds her phone in her purse and dials her mom. "Mom."

"Hi honey," her mom. the mayor, responds

"Can you put her on the line, please?" Maxie said as she looks through the window of Nathan's room.

"Yes, she is right here." Felicia tells her daughter as she picks up her granddaughter.

"Hi, baby girl. I am on my way home and will be home in time to put you to bed and pass on a kiss from Nathan. I love you. Thanks, mom... Yea, they are going to start removing the tube tomorrow morning, and he is fine with me being here with him. Tell you more when I get there, bye.

Maxie arrived home at half past seven and was met at the door by her daughter.

"Hi honey. I see that grandma got you ready for bed. Did she also read a bedtime story?" Maxie asked her daughter even though she only knew how to say 'mommie'.

"Yes, Goodnight My Princess, the one that Nathan always reads to her," explains Felicia. "I tried to read another one of her many bedtime storybooks but she only wants me to read that one book."

"She starts pouting and reaching for that book every time I try read a different bedtime story." replies Maxie

Felicia starts to say, "How is Na..." before Maxie states, "Mom, let me get her settle down and then I will tell you how is he and what is the next steps in his recovery. I don't want her to be up when I tell you because it isn't for little children's ears."

Her mother shakes her head in agreement."Night my little princess as she gives her granddaughter a final kiss before Maxie heads to their room to put her down.

Maxie comes back a half hour later.

Felicia sets two cups of tea on the table as her daughter sits down.

"How is he doing and how long will it take for the tube to come out" asked the mayor.

"He is improving but still has a long way to go. He is communicating by blinking and he and Dante played the alphabet game until that got too boring. As for the removal of the ventilator, it could take between 72 hours or a week, with a possiblity of two weeks. A good potion of it depends on him and if the heart and lungs can handle it because of him being on it for far too long. Once he is off the machine, they will wait for another two weeks to make sure that there are no complications before he is moved to a regular room.

They have been skipping over worrying about if he can feel anything from the chest down. They have been more concern with his brain, heart and lungs because they were the most serious injuries that he had. The additional surgeries didn't help him either.

I sense that he is afraid that he won't walk again and that is what worries me the most. I hate seeing him this way but I'm so thankful that he is here and not dead. I don't know if I could have gone on if he wasn't here with me. He is so understanding and good with Georgie and treats her like a princess even though she isn't his. But I'm afraid that it will all change if he is paralyzed and doesn't remember us." Maxie yawns.

"Oh, honey, everything will work it self out and we will stand with you and him as he goes through this setback. I see that you are tired, so why don't you go to bed. I have some things to do before I head to bed. Mac had to work tonight so you won't see him until tomorrow"

"Thanks mom and goodnight."

She climbs into her bed, gives a quick kiss to Georgie and as her head hits the pillow, she was out like a light and sleeps well into the night.

**A/N: **Did you know that when Johnny and Maxie were at the Haunted Star, the picture on the phone that Maxie showed Johnny was in fact Brandon and Kirsten's daughter, Harper? And Georgie will be played by?, You guess it, their daughter, Harper Rose.

I don't know if there is a bedtime story called _Goodnight __M__y __P__rincess__._


End file.
